DA Sues Over Pension and Supplemental Pay
COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County District Attorney Sonya Allen has taken the unusual step of suing the county she represents, seeking both her retirement pension and supplemental payments she claims are owed to her. The lawsuit, filed in early 2025, centers on whether Allen is a state employee or a county employee for purposes of her benefits.
Allen, who began her career with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office in 1992, became fully vested in her pension by 1999. After retiring from the sheriff’s office in 2021, she was elected Cobb County District Attorney in 2024 and assumed office in January 2025. Shortly thereafter, the county suspended her pension, asserting that she had been “rehired” as a county employee by accepting the DA role.
Allen’s attorneys, led by former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, argue that as a constitutional officer, Allen is a state employee under the Georgia Constitution and therefore entitled to her pension. “She’s a state employee under the Constitution, just like every superior court judge and every district attorney in Georgia,” Barnes said during Thursday’s hearing.
State Salary vs. County Supplements
According to the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys Council (PAC), all 51 district attorneys in Georgia receive the same base salary from the state, currently $138,473. “The law allows counties to supplement their DAs with additional payments based on factors such as the size of the circuit and the responsibilities of the office,” said Pete Skandalakis, PAC executive director. “These supplements are entirely at the discretion of the counties and are added on top of the state salary.”…