Abortion, Crime Spur New Red-State Laws Against Progressive DAs

Sherry Boston ousted a Democratic incumbent in the 2016 primary to clinch her first election as district attorney for DeKalb County, Ga., in the Atlanta metro area.

Boston didn’t run as a progressive—the label wasn’t common for prosecutors then—but believed in changing the system. Even before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade last summer, she had pledged not to prosecute abortion law violations.

So when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a GOP-backed law last week that gives a new state commission the power to discipline or remove local prosecutors, Boston recognized herself as a target.

“It’s clear to ...