About Don Rizzardi

Biographical

• Born in Knoxville, Tennessee May 6, 1959, the second of five children of Ned and Wilma Rizzardi
• Father of four, Joseph, Christine, Amelia and Donald II (all born and raised in Madison County)
• Grandfather of two, Mackenzie (5) and Trace (3) Davis

Education

• Butler High School (1977)
• UAHuntsville (1980) with Honor, American History (major), Political Science and Accounting (double minor)
• University of Alabama School of Law (1990)
• Attended, Balliol College, Oxford University (1979), Northwestern University (1993) and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers [Glynco, Georgia (1994) and Meridian, Mississippi (2004)]

Legal Work History

• Private practice (1990-91)
• Madison County District Attorney’s office (1991-present), 13 months in district court, 2 years prosecuting felony theft cases, 16 years as felony drug and arson prosecutor [the last 12 years as unit supervisor]

Professional achievements

• Prosecuted the first aggravated stalking trial in Alabama
• Prosecuted five capital murder cases
• Have selected 203 juries
• Conviction rate at trial is over 90%
• Steering committees, The Phoenix Program (counseling for first time juvenile offenders, 1992), revival of Joint Arson Task Force (multi-jurisdictional law enforcement data base of Madison-Morgan County arson cases, 1999), Drug Court Planning Initiative (ten member group entrusted with establishing local drug courts, 2001)
• Authored the guidelines and rules for the Adult Drug Court program (2003), some of which are now codified
• Nominated by the Madison County Judicial Commission in 2005 as a possible replacement for circuit judge vacancy to be filled by then Gov. Bob Riley
• Nominated as a candidate to fill vacancy on the Madison County Judicial Commission in 2011
• Recipient of Partnership for a Drug Free Community annual Law Enforcement Award (2008)
• Nominated for the Larry Smith Assistant District Attorney of the Year (2011), annually given by the Alabama District Attorneys Association
• Candidacy has received endorsements from Alabama's largest chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Partnership of a Drug-Free Community

Memberships and Associations

• West Huntsville Baptist Church
• Alabama State Bar Association
• Madison County Bar Association
• Alabama District Attorneys Association
• T.L. Blakemore Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police
• Republican Men’s Club
• Tennessee Valley Republican Club
• Republican Women of Huntsville (associate member)
• Huntsville Track Club
• University of Alabama Alumni Association
• UAHuntsville Alumni Association

Hobbies

• Shuffling (too slow now to call running)
• Attending UA Football and Basketball games
• Official Scorekeeper, Huntsville Stars (21 yrs) and anything else baseball
• Kids and grandkids