By Kenneth Mullinax | ASU
Azzie Melton Oliver has been appointed the first Black District Attorney (DA) of Montgomery County, Alabama, in its more than 200-year history.
Oliver was appointed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to complete the term of Montgomery County district attorney Daryl Bailey, following his recent retirement. Oliver, a native of Selma, Ala., graduated from Alabama State University in the Class of 1998 with a major in Criminal Justice. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Jones Law School.
“I am both humbled and proud to now be the district attorney of the county that represents Alabama’s state capital,” Oliver said. “I consider my ability to serve our community an honor. I have spent most of my career serving Montgomery County, and I am committed to leading the office in fighting for victims and making the capital city safer for all of its citizens.”
A longtime prosecutor, Oliver had been serving as Montgomery County’s district attorney pro-tem, and previously was the chief assistant DA, which is the second-in-command of all of the prosecutors in the office. Before her stint in the DA’s office, she worked as a chief prosecutor in the office of Alabama’s Attorney General.
“I express my deep gratitude to Governor Ivey for placing her trust in me to serve as Montgomery County District Attorney. I consider this appointment a blessing and an honor,” said Oliver in a prepared statement.
In a news release announcing Oliver’s appointment, Ivey stated that having a safe capital city is paramount to having a safer state.
“Azzie Oliver has dedicated most of her career to upholding the criminal laws of Alabama and by pursuing justice for the people of Montgomery County, so I am confident she will help us create a safer Montgomery,” Ivey stated. “Azzie has protected victims of crimes and prosecuted criminals, so she has become well respected by many from law enforcement officials to prosecutors. I look forward to working with her as our Capital City’s district attorney.”
Oliver explained that her professors, curriculum and experience at Alabama State University played a major role in her success.
“ASU helped me to be successful in life and advanced me to be where I am today in so many ways,” Oliver said. “The University’s Criminal Justice program that I majored in and its professional and knowledgeable faculty members pushed me in a positive way to excel academically and also prepared me to get accepted to and attend law school. Alabama State has been very important to me.”
Oliver credits her family with providing a firm foundation of love, leadership and service to others.
“I am most thankful to my family members who, because of the examples that they set in my life, made me who I am today, especially my mother, Ora Melton, and my father, Rev. Woodie L. Melton, who were civil rights leaders in their own right in Perry County (Alabama), and by growing up with them in my life, I stood on the backs of giants. They taught me to treat folks right, obey the law and because of them and the Lord, I am now the DA of Alabama’s Capital City,” Oliver added.
Montgomery’s new District Attorney said she wants to see more ASU students reach their goals and if inclined, enter the field of law.
“My advice to the University’s students is if they wish to be successful and fulfilled in life, then they need to set career goals, focus on obtaining those goals and set a path that focuses on improving themselves and by so doing, they will be where they and God want them to be in life,” Oliver said.
