Republican Wilson Blaylock announced he will be seeking re-election as District Attorney for Cullman County.

“I am proud of work we have done in the District Attorney’s Office,” Blaylock said. “As the chief law enforcement officer for Cullman County we work hard every day to enforce the laws of the State of Alabama to ensure the families of Cullman are safe and the quality of life in Cullman County remains second to none. There is still work to be done and I look forward every day to serving the citizens of Cullman County.”

Among the work to be done, he said, is addressing the sentencing guidelines made mandatory by the state Legislature for drug and property crimes. 

“In many instances, criminals with multiple prior felony convictions are guaranteed probation,” Blaylock told The Times Friday. “As the sentencing guidelines may have reduced prison overcrowding, they have unfortunately jeopardized the safety of our citizens and created a revolving door in which criminals are not afraid to break the law because there is no threat of prison time.”

Blaylock said not every crime deserves prison and there are alternatives. “Sometimes good people make terrible decisions. Which is why our court system has programs like Drug Court and Veteran’s Court to allow non-violent defendants an opportunity to change their lives. However, prison time needs to be ordered for those that have committed violent offenses and for those that have failed to make the most of their opportunity at a second chance,” he said.

He said he also plans to continue working to implement the Helping Families Initiative and other programs to intervene with at risk students in order to prevent crime.

Blaylock was first elected to the District Attorney’s Office in 2004. Prior to election, he served as Deputy District Attorney in Cullman from 2000-2005. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the Birmingham School of Law.

“I was the deputy district attorney from 2000-2004 and during that time I realized the positive impact the district attorney’s office can have on victims of crimes during some of their worst moments in their life,” he said. “The district attorney’s duty is to seek justice and in doing so the quality of life and safety for the citizens of Cullman County will be enhanced and that is a driving force behind my seeking re-election.”

In his time in office, Blaylock said some of the achievements he’s most proud of are bringing closure to victims and their families, expanding the work of the Victim Services Officer to better serve victims of crime, implementing the Helping Families Initiative, collecting of court ordered restitution, fines, and fees to return dollars to victims and taxpayers, and collecting inmate stimulus checks to pay toward their restitution and fines.

Blaylock said his top priorities remain getting justice for victims and the safety of the community. 

“Right now, our county jail is under an order from the federal court system that forces the jail to release almost every defendant on a signature bond and couple that with the revolving door created by the sentencing guidelines, we are focusing on filing bond revocations to detain those that continue to break the law while out on bond for other offenses,” said Blaylock.

He’s also working with the courts to address the backlog of cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and focusing on community outreach and law enforcement training and legal updates.

“Currently, we are updating our local senior centers on money scams that target our elderly,” Blaylock said. “My office has also been instructing our local law enforcement officers on recent changes in the law because we want to support our law enforcement officers and make sure that they are property trained and knowledgeable of these updates.”

A life-long Republican, Blaylock is an avid football fan for the University of Alabama. He is a member of the Cullman County Cattleman’s Association, sits on the Board of the Cullman County Community Corrections Board, is on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association and is one of the founding sponsors of the Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force.

“Cullman County needs a District Attorney with a strong legal background,” Blaylock added. “Someone who has a track record as a prosecutor and is also a strong conservative. I will always stand up to protect our seniors. I am proud to stand with our law enforcement community and I will protect our hard-working families. And I will continue to represent the District Attorney’s Office with honesty and integrity.”

Blaylock and his wife, the former Missy Wilson have five children and three grandchildren. The Blaylock’s are members of First United Methodist Church in Cullman.

The Republican Primary will be held on May 24, 2022.