DeSoto County Assistant District Attorneys sworn into office

Photo: From left are Ben Weathers; Thomas Waller; Rosharwin Williams; Drew Willcutt; District Attorney Matthew Barton; Gordon Shaw; Angie Huck; and Trena Williams.

Seven assistant district attorneys for Mississippi’s 23rd Judicial District – which serves DeSoto County – took their official oaths of office on Wednesday, Jan. 3, by the Honorable Celeste Wilson during the first court appearance of the year.

The new team of prosecutors bring a combined total of 114 years of trial experience to the District Attorney’s Office and the most law degrees ever in the history of the office.

Last year, the state Legislature funded three additional prosecutors through House Bills 834 and 603 for Mississippi’s fastest growing county.

With the new additions, the District Attorney’s office is now fully staffed and better prepared for increase in caseloads for the assistant district attorneys.

“Criminals are becoming more emboldened and dangerous due to the soft-on-crime policies of cities like our neighbor, Memphis,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton. “We are fortunate to have these additional attorneys who bring with them a wealth of experience. We cannot thank our legislators and Lt. Gov. Hosemann enough for prioritizing public safety by giving us the additional funds needed to keep our families safe.”