Now cancer-free, former DA is seeking to become new Georgia U.S. Attorney

Jan. 18--MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- When Fredric D. Bright retired as the longtime district attorney of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit in summer 2015, he faced one of the most difficult times of his life: waging war against cancer.

After a bone marrow transplant and several chemotherapy treatments at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, the 61-year-old Bright beat the dreaded disease. He had said when he stepped down from serving as a state prosecutor that he would someday like to get back to serving the people.

Such a time is now a reality for Bright, who says he's cancer-free and wants to get back to doing what he knows and loves best in life, aside from his family -- working as a prosecutor.

But this time, it won't be a on a state level. It will be on a federal level.

Bright, lives in Gordon, where his wife, Cinda, who serves as clerk of the Wilkinson County Superior Court, has applied to become one of the next three U.S. Attorneys in Georgia.

The job is a presidential-appointment position.

"In other words, Pres. (Donald J.) Trump would actually make the appointment," Bright said in a telephone interview last Friday afternoon. "I would love to get the appointment to serve as the next U.S. Attorney, but I'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Bright said his health is now good again and he's ready to do the people's business again in the criminal justice system.

As U.S. Attorney of the Middle District of Georgia, Bright would oversee cases in 70 of the 159 counties in the state, including all eight counties that comprise the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit.

"I'm ready for another challenge in my life and this is it I believe," Bright said.

During December, Bright said he thought about what he wanted to do for the next several years.

It didn't take him long to figure out exactly what he wanted more than anything -- to serve the people of Georgia again.

"I've missed being around people and helping them since I've been retired and fighting cancer," Bright said. "It's time, I think, I got back to doing what I do best and that's working as a prosecutor, except this time not at the state level, but on the federal level."

Bright said he is doing fine as far as his health was concerned.

"There's no other way to put it other than it sucked," Bright said of the chemo treatments. "But I completed them and I feel completely back to normal. I did four rounds of chemo, followed by a bone marrow transplant; using my own bone marrow."

Those treatments happened in March, April and May of last year.

"I walk three to four miles a day now," Bright said. "I lost between 30 and 35 pounds. It wasn't fun losing weight this way, but I'm trying to keep it off, and I'm trying to be real health conscious."

Bright said he's ready to go back to work, because he's a bit bored.

If he lands the appointment, he would be in an elite group of federal prosecutors across the country.

"There's 93 for the whole country," Bright said. "Georgia has three. We're divided into what's called the United States District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia."

Bright served as district attorney of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit for 21 years, and served as an assistant district attorney in the same circuit for 13 years.

"I was a prosecutor for 34 years from 1981 until midway of 2015," Bright said. "That's all I ever did."

The Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit is the largest circuit in Georgia.

Anytime a new U.S. president comes into office, the person at the top as a U.S. Attorney usually changes, he explained.

"It's a four-year presidential appointment," Bright said. "And nobody does it more than eight years."

The main office for the United States Middle District of Georgia is in Macon. There are several satellite offices located within the 70 counties that comprise the district.

"I want to do something different in my life," Bright said. "I'm fully retired as a district attorney. I really wanted a new challenge in my life. When you do the same thing for 34 years and make it your career; although I enjoyed every second of it, I really wanted to use my skills as a prosecutor, but use them in a different way."

The most logical way to do that he figured was to seek an appointment as U.S. Attorney.

During his six terms as district attorney, Bright ran as a Democratic candidate.

"I consider myself a conservative," Bright said. "I always vote for the person, not the (political) party. I voted for Trump and supported him. I'm really probably more aligned philosophically in the Republican Party than the Democratic Party."

Bright pointed out that when he ran for the district attorney back in 1994, he ran as a Democratic candidate because the majority of the people within the eight-county judicial circuit were Democrats.

"I never saw any reason to switch political parties when I was district attorney, because I was fortunate to have never had any opposition," Bright said, noting that he considers himself to be a Republican today. "If I were to run again for political office, I would run as Republican."

The application that Bright filled out for the appointment of U.S. Attorney is now in the hands of a six-person committee.

Bright said he expects to be called for an interview sometime in April.

"If I'm chosen as the top candidate, then the committee sends their recommendation on to our two Georgia U.S. Senators, Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, for their input and then the recommendation is sent on to the U.S. Senate," Bright said.

"That would be great," Bright said. "I would be so honored to serve in such a role."

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