The Dallas County District Attorney is the elected, or appointed by the Texas Governor in the event of a vacancy, district attorney (DA) of Dallas County, Texas. Currently, this position is held by Faith Johnson, a Republican appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, after Susan Hawk, who was elected as a Republican in 2014, resigned in 2016. The office prosecutes offenses under Texas state law classified as felonies, Class A and B misdemeanors, appeals of Class C misdemeanors (punishable by fine only), and Class C misdemeanors filed in the Justice of the Peace courts, generally by non-municipal police agencies. (Federal law violations are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas).
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office mission is to see that justice is done by protecting the innocent in our county without respect to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status. Our office will maintain the highest level of honesty, integrity, and transparency. We will always be accountable to our community.
The office is committed to diversity, hard work, and re-imagining the traditional role a prosecutor should play in a community. The Dallas County District Attorney is focused on balancing the vigorous prosecution of violent and habitual offenders with their commitment to crime prevention by implementing innovative programs to break the cycle of crime for youthful offenders, first-time offenders, mentally-ill offenders, and drug addicted offenders.
The District Attorney's Office strives to:
The office is notable for arguing Roe v. Wade and prosecuting Jack Ruby. Also, it partnered with the Innocence Project of Texas to review cases that might have been wrongfully convicted, which has been successful. This partnership has received national attention and was forged by Craig Watkins, the first Democratic District Attorney in Dallas County since Henry Wade.