The mission of the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office is to enhance public safety and community well being by supporting victims, holding people who commit crimes accountable, and engaging the community to prevent harm. We strive to enhance the quality of life for all persons in Dallas County by promoting greater public safety and well being through data-driven approaches to criminal justice that recognize the dignity of all persons with whom we interact. We further seek to reduce recidivism and to end mass incarceration by prosecuting crimes fairly, honorably, and without regard to societal biases.
Our Guiding Principles:
- To utilize taxpayer money efficiently;
- To make evidence-based decisions about criminal cases;
- To strive for equality in the use of prosecutorial discretion;
- To prosecute violent crimes and gun crimes;
- To treat all crime victims with dignity and fairness;
- To treat those accused of criminal offenses with dignity and fairness;
- To designate specialty court diversion prosecutors to cases in which defendants suffer from mental illness and/or substance use disorders, or in cases where the community and defendant may be best served by alternative approaches;
- To recognize mental illness and substance use disorder as public health concerns;
- To collaborate with law enforcement partners to prosecute crimes more effectively;
- To actively seek input and participation from the diverse communities of Dallas County;
- To utilize technology to improve case management, service to our community, and employee accountability;
- To inform the community about the work we do and the outcomes of our efforts;
- To act with professionalism in every situation.
