Division Chiefs

Jennifer Balido is the Chief of the Appellate Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. She supervises 21 attorneys and four support staff members in their roles of representing the DA’s Office on appeal, answering post-conviction writ applications, securing subpoenas for out-of-state law enforcement agencies and courts, facilitating extraditions, responding to requests made pursuant to the Public Information Act, and helping write and promote new legislation in the area of criminal law. The Appellate Division also has an Expunction team and a Misuse of Identity team who works with attorneys and members of the public to clear criminal history, when entitled under Texas law.

Jennifer received her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and her J.D. from Texas Tech School of Law in 1990. Over the past 30 years, she has gained vast and varied trial and appellate experience working for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office and in her own private criminal law practice. Governor Rick Perry appointed her as Judge of the 203rd Judicial District Court in 2009 and as Judge of the 291st Judicial District Court in 2013, both appointments to fill unexpired terms. After returning to the Dallas DA’s Office in 2016, she served as Felony Chief in three felony courts before being promoted to lead the Appellate Division in May of 2019.

Geoffrey Keller is the Chief of the Misdemeanor Trial Division. He supervises 36 prosecutors, 12 legal assistants, and two investigators. Geoff is responsible for the prosecutorial operations for 12 County Criminal Courts; including recruitment, training, and retention of new prosecutors and guidance on best practices in criminal prosecution.

Geoff received his B.S. in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999 and his J.D. from Texas Wesleyan School of Law – now Texas A&M University School of Law in 2004. Since 2004, Geoff has gained extensive trial experience working for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and in his own private criminal law practice. In 2015, Geoff returned to the Dallas DA’s Office and served as a deputy chief prosecutor in the Organized Crime Division, felony trial courts, and the Crimes Against Children Division.

Geoff has been a presenting speaker at multiple Crimes Against Children conferences and a faculty advisor at Texas District and County Attorney Association trainings. Geoff was named a “Rising Star” by the Texas Super Lawyers for 2014 and 2015. Geoff also served as a reserve JAG Officer in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2021. Geoff’s military experience allowed him to serve as the prosecutor to the Dallas County Veterans Treatment Court from 2019-2023.

Amy Derrick is the Chief of Division 4 of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Division 4 includes the Crimes Against Children and the Sexual Assault Units. Amy supervises 22 prosecutors, 17 investigators, and 8 victim advocates. Her responsibilities also include handling high-profile or sensitive cases and working on initiatives with community partners.

Amy grew up in Southeast Texas and received her B.A. from Lamar University and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University. She joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in 2004. She has spent over a decade prosecuting sexual assault cases exclusively; including crimes against children, domestic violence, campus related and cold case sexual assault. In 2015, Amy formed the office’s “Sexual Assault Kit Initiative” to address the need to test, investigate and prosecute cases arising out of the forensic analysis of thousands of untested sexual assault kits across the county. This project is made possible with the award of over $3 million in federal grant funds. Amy serves on numerous community coalitions, sexual assault response teams, and legislative taskforces with the goal of strengthening the multi-disciplinary response to reports of sexual assault. Amy is a frequent trainer and presenter for law enforcement, victim advocates, Child Protective Services, sexual assault nursing (SANE) programs and for other prosecutors. She has been invited to train nationally regarding the prosecution of sexual assault and frequently at the local level and across the state.

Cynthia R. Garza is the Special Fields Bureau Chief of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office’s and Chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). The CIU primarily reviews cases concerning allegations of innocence, but it also reviews cases involving instances of wrongful conviction.

Ms. Garza graduated magna cum laude with a double undergraduate degree in Sociology and Psychology, with distinction, from Southern Methodist University in 2001. She received her law degree in 2004 from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Ms. Garza established her own law firm, practicing family and criminal law. Later, she joined a criminal defense firm where she handled criminal cases, honing her skills in appellate and post-conviction criminal defense. Ms. Garza joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office’s Appellate Division in 2008 and then joined the CIU in January 2010. She was named Chief of the CIU in July 2017, and has been involved in a significant percentage of the Unit’s exonerations.

Ms. Garza is the longest tenured prosecutor in any CIU in the nation and is frequently consulted by other jurisdictions for advice on establishing and running a CIU. She trains prosecutors in Dallas County, as well as travels around the state and country training and speaking to prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, students and community members about actual innocence and wrongful convictions.

Ms. Garza was named a Rising Star in 2008 and 2009 by Texas Super Lawyers Magazine and was awarded the La Cima Latina Government Leader by the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2014. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (DHBA) and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL). She has also co-chaired committees with the Dallas Bar Association, DHBA, and DAYL.

Ms. Garza is passionate about public service and is committed to leading the CIU team with integrity, hard work and dedication.

George Lewis is the Chief of Division 1 of the Felony Trial Bureau of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. George supervises felony prosecutors in nine District Courts and handles high-profile and sensitive cases.

Most recently, George served as the Chief of the Public Integrity/Civil Rights Division (PID). The PID handles cases involving individuals and organizations that violate the law while operating within the public’s trust, including officer-involved shootings and deaths in custody of law enforcement.

George was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He received his B.A. degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and his J.D. degree from the SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas. He joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in June of 2008 and has prosecuted cases in the Misdemeanor Division, Felony Trial Division, State Jail Unit, Crimes Against Children Division and Gang Unit.

In August 2015, George was named Chief Prosecutor of the Civil Rights Unit, a newly created prosecution unit tasked with the investigation, grand jury presentment and, in the event of indictment, prosecution of incidents involving police use of deadly force in the wake of several controversial police shootings around the nation.

Stephanie Fargo is the Chief of Division 2 of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. She supervises felony prosecutors in 8 District Courts. Her responsibilities include handling high-profile or sensitive cases and working on initiatives with community partners, as well as assisting with training for the Office.

Stephanie received her B.A. from the University of North Texas in 2001 and her J.D. from A&M University School of Law in 2004 where she served as the Editor in Chief of the Law Review. Over the past 16 years, she has worked in many different divisions within the District Attorney’s Office including serving as division chief to the Family Violence division from early 2016-November 2017. Then, in November 2017, she was appointed by Governor Greg Abbot as Judge of Criminal District Court 7 to fill an unexpired term. In 2019 she was hired back at the District Attorney’s office to serve as division chief over the Organized Crime division until being promoted to serve as Chief of Division 2.

Jason Hermus is the supervising prosecutor of Division 3 of the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. He supervises a dedicated team of 26 Assistant District Attorneys, 15 Investigators, and numerous support-staff colleagues.

Division 3 consists of the following divisions and units: The Specialized Crime Division investigates and prosecutes White Collar offenses, including fraud, forgery and financial crime offenses, and elder abuse offenses; the Checks Division investigates and prosecutes all bad checks cases, welfare fraud offenses, and all class C misdemeanor offenses at each of the Justice of the Peace Courts; the Organized Crime Division investigates and prosecutes high level drug offenses, and crimes committed by organized criminal individuals and organizations; the Gang Unit investigates and prosecutes organized criminal street gangs for violent and high-level criminal offenses, and the Community Response Team is an adaptive team that generally targets habitual offenders, and works closely with law-enforcement to address emerging trend crimes.

Jason grew up abroad and moved to Texas in 1989. He became a citizen of the United States of America in 1994 – one of his proudest accomplishments. He attended the University of North Texas for his undergraduate degree in Applied Arts and Sciences, with an emphasis in Political Science. He later attended Southern Methodist University for his Juris Doctor degree, graduating cum laude. He joined the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in 2002, and has served as a Court Chief Prosecutor in numerous County and District Courts, in the Crimes Against Children Division, as the Deputy and Division Chief of the Misdemeanor Trial Division, and as the Chief Prosecutor in the Public Integrity Division. He has additionally served in the Office’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, and in the Civil Rights Unit, and as the Homicide Intake Chief Prosecutor.

In 2011, Jason was awarded the coveted “Above and Beyond” award, and in 2018 he was awarded the District Attorney's Award, recognizing his service to the Office and the community. Jason was recognized as the Dallas County 2019 Employee of the Year for Courts and Justice Administration. Jason was most recently awarded as a 2020 Prosecutor of the Year by the State Bar of Texas Criminal Justice Section.

Michael O’Brien is the Chief of the Juvenile Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He supervises 27 attorneys, 14 support staff members and 6 investigators. The Juvenile Division is comprised of two sections: Juvenile Delinquency and Child Welfare. Juvenile Delinquency prosecutes crimes committed by children ages ten through sixteen, ranging from shoplifting to capital murder. The Child Welfare prosecutors represent the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in cases of alleged abuse or neglect of children.

Michael received his BBA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 and his JD from St Mary’s University in 1994. He joined the Dallas County DA’s Office in 1997 and has spent the majority of his tenure assigned to the Juvenile Division. Michael has been board certified in juvenile law since 2003. He is a member of the Exam Commission for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has served on the State Bar of Texas Juvenile Section Council. He received the Juvenile Prosecutor of the Year Award in 2007 and was recognized by the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court for being selected as DA Employee of the Month for February 2021.

Jessica Trevizo has been a prosecutor in Dallas County for over 10 years. Jessica attended Texas Christian University for her undergraduate studies, where she earned her degrees in Political Science and Business. She attended Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Jessica has prosecuted a variety of domestic violence cases including aggravated assaults, strangulation assaults, murder and capital murder. Jessica served as Deputy Chief of the Family Violence Division and at one point she oversaw the Misdemeanor Family Violence Division, which allowed her to help educate young prosecutors on the importance of prosecuting domestic violence cases. During her tenure in family violence, Jessica learned about the nexus between domestic violence and animal abuse/cruelty crimes.

Jessica’s fluency in Spanish has allowed her to reach out to the Latino communities in order to educate domestic violence victims on the importance of seeking help and the safety resources that they may not know are available to them due to a language barrier.

Jessica has worked to educate prosecutors, the community and law enforcement on the prosecution of domestic violence, domestic violence strangulation, and animal abuse cases.

Jason is the Chief of the Public Integrity/Civil Rights Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He supervises four prosecutors, four investigators, and one support staff member. The PID handles cases involving individuals and organizations that violate the law while operating within the public’s trust, including officer-involved shootings and deaths in custody of law enforcement.

Jason received his undergraduate and juris doctor degrees from the University of Miami. He joined the District Attorney’s Office in 2008 and has served as a Chief Prosecutor in various County and District Courts, in the Crimes Against Children Division, as the Deputy Chief of the Misdemeanor Division, as the Chief Homicide Prosecutor, and also as the Chief of the Cold Case Unit.

He has tried hundreds of jury trials including numerous capital murders, murders, aggravated sexual assaults of children, and aggravated robberies, several of which have garnered local, national, and international coverage. He has also frequently been invited to speak at conferences throughout the nation in the area of homicide prosecutions. Jason was named 2019 Dallas County Prosecutor of the Year and a 2020 Prosecutor of the Year by the State Bar of Texas.

With a passion for improving people’s lives through public service, Ellyce Lindberg, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, began her career at the Dallas County District Attorney's Office over twenty years ago. Currently, she is the chief over the Grand Jury and Intake Division, supervising the attorneys and support staff who are responsible for all adult criminal cases submitted for prosecution by law enforcement agencies across Dallas County. For the first eleven years of her career she was a trial prosecutor in the misdemeanor and felony courts in Dallas County. In 2007 she was named Prosecutor of the Year, and in 2015 she was named Administrator of the Year. She serves as the co-chair of the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board.

Lupita Rendon is a pioneering law enforcement officer who has dedicated her career to ensuring justice and safety for communities in Texas. Her journey began in 1990 when she joined the Robstown Police Department as a Police Communications officer. She quickly rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to patrol officer, where she was the only female officer at the time. During her time with the department, she gained valuable experience in every division, including Juvenile, Narcotics, and Criminal Investigations.

In April of 2003, Lupita began her current journey with the Dallas County District Attorney's office as a Criminal Investigator. Over the years, she has worked in several divisions, including Misdemeanor, Public Integrity, Felony and Administration, where she currently serves. Her dedication and hard work led to promotions to Senior Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Deputy Chief, where she supervised 4 Lieutenants and 80 Criminal Investigators while working on high-profile, Capital Murder, and Death Penalty cases.

Lupita's tireless efforts and exceptional leadership skills did not go unnoticed, and in March of 2023, she was promoted to Chief Investigator. Lupita is the first female and first Hispanic Chief Investigator for the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office, currently serving under elected District Attorney John Creuzot. Her duties include overseeing criminal investigations, managing personnel, and developing and implementing short and long-range goals for the investigation division.

Lupita's career has been marked by a commitment to excellence, a dedication to service, and a passion for justice. Her accomplishments have paved the way for other women and Latinas in law enforcement, and she is a shining example of the positive impact that can be made by those who are committed to serving their communities.

Jimmy Ivy is the Deputy Chief Investigator for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. As the Deputy Chief he assists the Chief Investigator in managing daily operations and administrative matters of the Investigators Division. He supervises and monitors the duties and responsibilities of the investigative employees to ensure efficiency. He also assists with the coordination of training, evaluation, and Investigators Division assignments.

In 2016, Deputy Chief Ivy joined the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office Investigations Division. He has held the position of Senior Sergeant and Lieutenant. He also has been assigned to various felony courts, where he assisted in the prosecution of various felonies of all types, including robbery, sexual assault, murder, and capital murder.

Deputy Chief Ivy served 8 years 9 months in the United States Navy (Yeoman Chief Petty Officer) before starting his law enforcement career in 1998 with the Shreveport Police Department in Louisiana and later with the Mesquite Police Department in Texas. His assignments included the Gang/Narcotics Unit, Juvenile Unit, School Resource Officer, Patrol Officer, and a member of the Mesquite Police Department Tactical Team for 13 years.

Deputy Chief Ivy has a Master Peace Officer Proficiency Certification and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida.

Julie Turnbull is the Chief of the Restorative Justice Division for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. She oversees the Pre-Trial Diversion Programs and Specialty Courts for Dallas County as well as the Mental Health Division. Julie grew up in Dallas and attended The Hockaday School. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas with a B.A. in English and then received her law degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She was an assistant district attorney for Dallas County from 1994-1998 practicing in both felony and misdemeanor courts as well as the Public Integrity Division. Since 1998 she has served as the sole prosecutor for the Dallas County DIVERT Court. In addition, in 2009 she also became the sole prosecutor for the 4-C SAFPF ReEntry Court until 2016. She has presented on drug court topics at national, state and local conferences. She is a member of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and the Texas Association of Specialty Courts (TASC) where she serves as immediate past president. As a TASC board member, she has served on the nominating committee, awards committee and has co-chaired the last five state conferences. She is also a board member for the Community Corrections Improvement Foundation.

Jerry Varney is the Administrative Chief of Division 5 of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He supervises the Family Violence Unit and Victim Assistance Coordinators of the Victim Witness divisions. His responsibilities also include handling high-profile or sensitive cases. Jerry represents the District Attorney’s Office on Dallas’ Domestic Violence Task Force, Dallas County Fatality Review, and is a Board Member of Genesis’ Men’s Auxiliary Group, HeROs. He serves on the National Advisory Council for the Conference on Crimes Against Women, and chairs the Texas District and County Attorney's Association's Diversity, Recruiting, and Retention Committee.

Jerry is from Arlington, Texas, and earned his B.A. in Political Science from Abilene Christian University. He obtained his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2004. He joined the Dallas District Attorney’s Office in November of 2004, starting in the Misdemeanor Division. Jerry has prosecuted cases in the Misdemeanor, Felony, Organized Crime, and Public Integrity Divisions. He has prosecuted felonies of all types, including aggravated robbery, sexual assault, murder and capital murder, and he has worked on a death penalty trial teams.

Biography pending.