Stitt taps George ‘Buddy’ Leach III as DA for District 1

Saturday, September 25, 2021

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George "Buddy" Leach III was appointed as District Attorney of District One by Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Provided)

George “Buddy” Leach III will be the new district attorney for District 1 after his appointment was announced Friday by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Spanning the Oklahoma panhandle, the district covers Beaver, Cimarron, Harper and Texas counties. Leach will succeed James M. Boring, who will retire Sept. 30.

“It is an honor to be appointed to serve Oklahoma as a district attorney,” Leach said in a statement released by Stitt’s office. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my work as an attorney in the first district in a new capacity.”

Stitt said Leach’s commitment to serving the state drove his decision to appoint Leach.

“I am delighted to appoint such a diligent public servant to serve as district attorney,” Stitt said in a statement. “Buddy Leach continues to show his commitment to our state through his service to the community, and I know he will ensure the citizens of his district receive justice.”

According to the statement from Stitt’s office, Leach has served as a first assistant district attorney since 2003. He has previously won the Professional Advocate Award and was recognized as the Region Five Prosecutor of the Year. From 1985 to 2002, he was a partner at Boring and Leach Attorneys at Law.

Leach earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University in 1984. He and his wife of 36 years, Melissa, have two grown children.

Health concerns lead to Boring departure

In his June 30 resignation letter, embedded below, the 71-year-old Boring cited health concerns as his primary reason for stepping down.

“Although I fully intended to complete this term of office, my wife and I have both been experiencing and dealing with ongoing health issues since the first of this year,” Boring wrote. “I will be 72 in November and I have simply reached a point in time when I feel it is not only in my best interest but the best interest of the people of my district that I step down as district attorney.”

Boring serves as chairman of the OSBI Commission and said he will also step down from that position.

“It has truly been an honor to have been able to serve on the Commission,” Boring wrote. “Director Ricky Adams has done a truly amazing and outstanding job of restructuring and refocusing the employees of this critically important organization. The advancements made and those coming will continue to serve the people of this state in a tremendous way.”