CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) — Governor Brian Kemp has appointed a new district attorney for the Cordele Judicial Circuit after the former one recently stepped down, leaving the office with just two prosecutors.

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the governor’s office announced the appointment of Lyndsey Walters as the new district attorney. She fills the vacancy left by Brad Rigby, who stepped down Aug. 21. Rigby left his position in the Cordele Judicial Circuit to be an assistant United States attorney assigned to the Albany Criminal Division. He and two other state prosecutors in the Cordele office, Christian Bryant and Whitney Bradford, left to join the Albany Criminal Division.

Rigby’s resignation came just months after a WALB investigation that found there were more than 4,200 unindicted or pending criminal cases in the district.

Rigby was first appointed to Cordele back in 2016.

BACK STORY: Cordele Judicial Circuit district attorney resigns, crippling office further

Walters was born and raised in Irwin County. The governor’s office says after law school, she moved back home and worked in civil litigation before starting to practice as a public defender.

In 2025, Walters became the court administrator/ADR director for the Cordele Judicial Circuit.

Walters graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s in political science. She got her law degree from Savannah Law School. The governor’s office says she was active in the Student Bar Association and served as representative for her class.

Walters is also an active member of the Rotary Club, attends Fellowship Baptist Church, and likes to volunteer with her local Community in Schools program. She’s also passionate about the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Back in May, Walters defeated Rigby in the election. He had run unopposed two previous times. Walters’ term was set to start at a later date. However, since Rigby resigned unexpectedly, Walters has been placed in the position early.

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