David Cooke has over 20 years of experience getting justice for victims who were hurt by the intentional and careless acts of others. Prior to joining Gautreaux Law, David served two terms as the elected District Attorney for the Macon Judicial Circuit, where he litigated some of the largest civil racketeering cases in Georgia history.
During his tenure as DA, David began numerous successful initiatives including founding the office’s Elder Abuse Unit, a successful model for getting justice for seniors that has since been replicated throughout the state. Under his leadership, the office adopted proven gang prosecution practices, leading to a string of gang-murder convictions. The office also prosecuted a number of high profile cases, including the 2011 murder of Mercer University law graduate Lauren Giddings by her classmate and next door neighbor, Stephen McDaniel.
As a trial lawyer, David has taken over 150 jury trials to verdict, specializing in the prosecution of sex crimes and homicides. He previously served as the chief of the Special Victims Unit in Houston County, and was a chief senior assistant district attorney in Atlanta, where he secured a conviction in the starvation and torture murder of 5-year-old Terrell Peterson. While serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, David received an award from the U.S. Department of Justice stemming from his prosecution and the subsequent conviction of a corrupt police officer and his allies. He also served as a special assistant district attorney in the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which includes his hometown of Carrollton.
A frequent lecturer on crimes against women and children, David has been featured multiple times as an expert commentator for HLN, NPR, Dateline NBC, and other national media outlets. He also teaches other lawyers the best practices for jury selection, evidence presentation, and direct and cross examination of expert witnesses.
In 2019, David was named Attorney of the Year by the Macon Bar Association. As a young attorney, David was named one of Georgia’s top 10 lawyers “On the Rise” by the Fulton County Daily Report, Georgia’s largest legal newspaper. Polling firm Insider Advantage and James Magazine have multiple times named David as one of the 50 most influential attorneys in Georgia. For the past two years, he has served as vice chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s Clients’ Security Fund Board of Trustees.
David serves on the board of the Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia, the United Way of Central Georgia, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington DC. He and his wife, Rebecca, are members of the First Baptist Church of Christ, where they both serve as deacons. The Cookes have three children, and reside in Macon.
In his time away from work, David enjoys traveling, competitive kettlebell lifting, and spending time with his family.
EDUCATION
- Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law, Macon, GA, J.D.
- University of Georgia, Athens, GA, B.F.A.