Pamela Sturdivant Stephenson (May 11, 1951 – June 17, 2024) was an American politician from Georgia. Stephenson was a Democratic member of Georgia House of Representatives representing the state's 90th district, which includes parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties. On September 10, 2020,
Stephenson's daughter submitted a resignation on her behalf due to dementia.[1][2]
The 90th district is 86% African American according to figures from the 2000 census.[3]
Background
Education
Stephenson received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University and has two master's degrees from the University of Michigan. She attended the Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta.[4] 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.[5]
Career
Stephenson was elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 2005.[6] She had been the executive director of the State Health Planning agency and had served on the State Medical Education Board. She served on the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors.[4]
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.[7] 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.[8]
Stephenson won her primary in June 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.[9] Stephenson was suffering from degenerative dementia.[10] Stephenson died on June 17, 2024, at the age of 73.[11][12]
^Chidi, George (September 17, 2020). "George on Georgia – Lamenting the resignation of Pam Stephenson". Decaturish.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021. Stephenson is suffering from a degenerative dementia, which explains quite a bit. Her law license was suspended earlier this year after a disastrous performance in a defense case in court. It's heartbreaking. But as people are telling me, it's not shocking. She wasn't expected to qualify to run for re-election this year. Many people I spoke to said they were surprised when she signed on for another term.
