Pamela S. Stephenson is an American politician from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Stephenson was a Democratic member of

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005 ...

representing the state's 90th district, which includes parts of

DeKalb DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to: People * Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War Places Municipalities in the United States * DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb **DeKal ...

and Rockdale counties. On September 10, 2020, Stephenson's daughter submitted a resignation on her behalf due to dementia. The 90th district is 86% African American according to figures from the 2000 census.

Background

Education

Stephenson received her undergraduate degree from

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

and has two master's degrees from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. She attended the Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta. There has been some debate over whether or not she graduated from law school. The registrar for the school does not show that she graduated.

Career

Stephenson was elected to the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are direct ...

in 2005. She had been the executive director of the State Health Planning agency and had served on the State Medical Education Board. She serves on the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors. In 2018, Stephenson was hired to defend Asa North, who had been accused of causing the deaths of his children after leaving them in a hot car in Carroll County, Georgia. During the trial, she was accused of being "woefully unprepared". She did not subpoena any witnesses and repeatedly talked on her cell phone, even during opening statements. Affidavits state that the judge asked Stephensen if she was on pills. The family of Asa North has since hired another attorney. As a result of the case, on September 20, 2019, Stephenson was suspended from the practice of law in Georgia. Stephenson won her primary in June of 2020, and was running unopposed for her seat. However, her daughter, acting as her guardian with power of attorney, filed a resignation with the Georgia Governor's office on September 10, 2020. Stephenson is suffering from degenerative dementia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Pam Living people 1951 births Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Eastern Michigan University alumni Women state legislators in Georgia (U.S. state) University of Michigan alumni 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians