Duty begins job as Williamson Co. DA

GEORGETOWN (KXAN) - One-by-one, newly elected Williamson County officials raised their right hand and were sworn-in on New Year’s Day.

And the second Jana Duty completed her oath, a new era began in Williamson County.

“We are a couple of dockets behind, so we will have some catching up to do,” said Duty.

But the new district attorney knows the “catching up” goes far beyond a few dockets.

She knew that back in May when she ended the decade long tenure of John Bradley by defeating him in the primary election.

In fact, the “catching up” is what motivated her to run for DA in the first place.

“It was one of the reasons I ran, obviously. To rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system in Williamson County.”

The rebuilding is needed after the much-publicized Michael Morton case and the stigma it left on justice in Williamson County.

“It is going to take a while for people to trust us again and we will work hard to earn their trust and show them it is a fair system and a just system,” said Duty, who spent 8 years as county attorney.

It will not take long for Duty and her new staff of prosecutors and investigators to be tested.

The Fred Yazdi murder trial looms in 2013 and contains many details and elements that Duty believes could be a barometer for the way people in Williamson County view justice.

“That is a case, if there ever was a case, to see what the community standards are and what is acceptable to the community and what is not.”

Yazdi was charged with murder for the February 2012 shooting death of Enrique Recio. Recio was attempting to leave Yazdi’s property when he was killed according to investigators.

But diligence and patience are also important according to Duty who discussed the recent release of Patric Fairs, an ex-UT basketball player who had murder charges against him dropped after questions about evidence testing.

“We need to slow down and make sure we are charging the right person,” said Duty.

“What I fear daily is another Michael Morton case.”

The case that was her motivation and now her challenge.

One she is ready to tackle one docket at a time.