WALHALLA — As one of only three women to hold the office of Solicitor in South Carolina, it’s only natural to ask Chrissy Adams if she would like to be a judge someday in a state that doesn’t have that many women sitting on the bench.

If there was any inkling that the idea of wearing a black robe appealed to her, the 10th Circuit Solicitor did a good job of concealing her hand.

Poised as she is to officially announce her re-election bid next week, and with an Anderson attorney already in full campaign mode to challenge her in a Republican primary for the position, Adams was not about to be knocked off track with talk about becoming a judge, regardless of how flattering the idea may be.

“I love what I do, and I’m going to plan to stay right here,” said Adams, who will be seeking a second four-year term since besting former solicitor Druanne White in 2004. “Prosecution is extremely rewarding, and this position is extremely rewarding because we have seen so much improvement in the past three years. I want to stay in this position and continue to move this circuit forward.”

Adams sat down for an interview with the Daily Journal/Messenger last week for nearly an hour at her offices in the Oconee County Courthouse. She talked not just about her achievements and the new programs initiated during her first term, but also addressed questions raised by her opponent about sagging convictions in Anderson and Oconee counties.

Adams is not taking her Republican rival for Solicitor, Sarah Ganss Drawdy, for granted. Drawdy recently launched a Web site to promote her candidacy — www.votedrawdy.com — and has aggressively attacked the incumbent for being a soft prosecutor.

Adams bristles at the notion she’s not tough enough. She also takes umbrage with Drawdy’s slam that the conviction rates in both Oconee and Anderson have been on a downward spiral during her tenure. Her response is hardly soft.

The incumbent is quick to point out that the state’s Court Administration deals with charging papers or warrants, and not people. She insists the Court Administration cannot provide a conviction rate, and that her opponent is either too young, and inexperienced to make that distinction, or she’s deliberately trying to fool the voters.

Adams claims the criminal justice system in the 10th Circuit is headed on the right track.

“What we’re doing is working because we’re prosecuting people, we’re not prosecuting pieces of paper, and we’re not bogging down the system,” Adams said.

At about 2 p.m. on Monday, Adams will formally announce she is seeking re-election on the steps of the Oconee County Courthouse, 414 S. Pine St. in Walhalla. Joining her will be Oconee County Sheriff James Singleton, who will endorse her candidacy, while also announcing he’s seeking another term in office.

Singleton said Adams has programs in place that are beginning to make a difference, and that will make the Solicitor’s Office run better.

The sheriff said his office has “a good working relationship” with the solicitor.

“She’s the incumbent and I always support the incumbent,” Singleton added.

Adams now can point to such programs as the Adult Drug Court, which launched circuit-wide at the start of 2008 as an accomplishment of her administration in fighting crime. She said it took a couple of years to complete the funding and the training needed to implement the program, which has been successful in other counties.

The program is available for people whose drug addiction is compelling them to commit crimes. People in that predicament go into court, plead guilty and are sentenced to prison. However, prison time is suspended if the defendant successfully completes an 18-month program that includes intense counseling and treatment.

Adams said she also wants to implement a Juvenile Drug Court in Oconee County. She said the same program has been available in Anderson County for years.

Adams said she’s also proud of the juvenile deferred prosecution (or truancy) program, which won a national award as one of the top five programs in the nation. Through the program, which is available to students and their families from elementary school to high school, Adams said absences have generally been reduced from about 20 to 4.5 per school year.

Students, and their parents, who are referred to the Solicitor’s Office by school resource officers, have the option of taking their chances as defendants in Family Court, or agreeing to join the program.

Once in the program, students and their families are tested for drugs, receive counseling, and if needed, wear monitoring devices.

The goal of the program is to end the vicious cycle of having school dropouts who invariably go on to populate the state prison system. Adams said about 94 percent of the inmate population in state prisons are high school dropouts.

Although federal funds for the truancy program dry up this year, Adams is confident she can keep the program in place by partnering with the school districts in Anderson and Oconee, as well as other agencies and groups.

“I can assure you we will continue to fund it,” she said.

Rhonda Morgan, Victim’s Advocate in the Oconee County sheriff’s Office, said there are other programs in the county that the Solicitor’s Office is participating in that are making a difference. Morgan points to the Criminal Domestic Violence (CVD) Court as an example. She said Adams’ office provides a deputy solicitor to handle CVD cases that go to trial at the Magistrate Court level.

Morgan has seen the crime rate go up since she started the Victim’s Advocate program nine years ago. She said it has been a challenge to the entire criminal justice system, including the Solicitor’s Office. She said Adams reaches out.

“She’s asked for input, and seems always sincere,” Morgan said.

Adams said she always planned to pursue a career as a prosecutor because she was drawn to the profession, and not because she wanted to become solicitor one day. She said her goal continues to be prosecuting criminals and preventing crime through the efficient use of her office and resources.

“Is (running for solicitor) the best thing I ever did? Absolutely,” she said. “Do I plan on being here as for as long as I can? Absolutely. I love it. It is rewarding. It is fulfilling.”