Gardner Fights for Justice with a Sense of Humor

Cobb County native Lindsay Gardner is someone you don’t want to meet – professionally. Her prior experience as a prosecutor revolved around putting away drug dealers, rapists, and the like.

Now, as Senior Managing Attorney at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, she assists the Investigative Division, Division of Forensic Sciences, Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Georgia Crime Information Center.  She is also attached to the Gang Task Force, works with the policy and accreditation team, researches case law, teaches and trains law enforcement, and supervises employees.

She shared, “Attorneys at the GBI are similar to in-house counsel. The Attorney General’s Office represents the GBI in court, and we are the liaisons between the AG’s office and the GBI, gathering documentation and evidence, and walking our special agents and employees through the legal process.”

Curious about Gardner handling high profile cases? “I’ve found truth is far stranger than fiction. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a crazier, more outrageous case. My specialty as a prosecutor was SVU (Special Victims Unit) cases – crimes against children and sex crimes.”

She’s had a serial rapist on the witness stand essentially admit to raping two women, convicted a man of an armed robbery after he got into a shootout in another county for committing another armed robbery of the exact same nature. She summarized, “Most of all, I’ve been honored to fight for justice for victims and survivors of crime from all walks of life.”

When asked to summarize her conviction rate, she said, “The most important aspect of being a prosecutor is the pursuit of truth and justice. Truth and justice may be a conviction, a plea to a lesser offense, or even a dismissal if there is a violation of a defendant’s constitutional rights.”

She harkens back to her childhood for her grounding. “My grandmother captivated me with stories of her own childhood, and in turn, arguing to a jury or teaching includes communicating and describing events and concepts in a way people can relate to and understand. It’s also important to stand up for what’s right. We have a saying at the GBI – it’s about ‘doing the right things at the right time for the right reason.’”

Gardner earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia and her Juris Doctor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. She recalled, “I had grand plans. I wanted to practice media and entertainment law, representing stars and athletes. That didn’t happen. It was partially due to my dad, whose employees stole from him. I gathered evidence for his case and turned it over to the District Attorney’s Office. Before I took one criminal law course, the prosecutor on my dad’s case pronounced I was going to be a prosecutor. I didn’t believe him, but when I interned in the Hardcore Gang Unit of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, I quickly learned I found criminal law more intriguing than reading and writing contracts all day.”

For more than a decade after law school, she prosecuted felony cases in two major metro Atlanta counties: Gwinnett County and then Cobb County. As an assistant district attorney, she tried felony cases from drugs and armed robberies to rapes, child molestations, and murders. She also coached mock trial at Emory Law School and taught at Emory’s Trial Techniques program.

Outside of her career, you can find Gardner training for a half-Ironman competition or “making a fool out of herself” for good causes: like dressing up in an adult spelling bee or playing a role in a murder mystery to raise money for children. She also served on the Dave Krache Foundation Board, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to raising money for youth to play sports.  She is a Leadership Cobb graduate, and in 2022, was the recipient of the 22nd Annual Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service.

On a lighter note, Gardner finds a perk of the job is being able to occasionally wear 511s, the “tactical pants for law enforcement personnel.”