On August 30, 2023, DA Owens joined Sheriff Tyree Jones, Chief Joseph Wade (JPD), and Chief Bo Lucky (OCP) at the Capri Theatre for the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (GJCP) Partners in Public Safety Forum.
Learn more about CJCP by visiting: Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership – Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Mississippi (greaterjacksonms.com)
On July 12, 2023, the Office of the Hinds County District Attorney issued the following statement in response to the Attorney General’s filing in Fox v. State, No. 2022-KA-00988-COA.
DA Owens Releases Statement Opposing House Bill 1020
On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, DA Jody Owens held an end of year press conference to discuss the office’s successes in 2022, and the anticipated challenges to come in 2023. Watch the press conference and follow the coverage below.
Year in Review: Comparing the Numbers
Grand Jury Action: 2,067 Counts Presented
When the police or other law enforcement agency makes a felony arrest, the case is submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for presentation to the Hinds County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury is charged with either indicting the individual for the crime charged or returning a “no-bill.” An indictment is the formal charging instrument that charges the individual with the crime and is the first step in the prosecutorial process.
In 2022, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office presented 2,067 felony counts to the Hinds County Grand Jury, which returned 1,879 indictments.
Felony Cases Resolved: 1,017 Cases, 1,489 Counts
In calendar year 2022, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office represented the citizens of Hinds County in 1,017 felony criminal prosecutions, putting a significant dent in the backlog caused by the pandemic.
Smart Justice
The Hinds Count District Attorney’s Office is committed to Smart Justice, evaluating every case in terms of the best result for both the victim and the community. To accomplish this goal, the Office puts special emphasis on pretrial programs aimed at reducing recidivism and making victims whole. The District Attorney’s Office is also instrumental in assisting citizens, who have paid their debt to society, to expunge eligible convictions.
For more information about the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office, please call (601) 968-6568.
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(Jackson, MS) Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced that Hinds County Election Commissioner Toni Johnson pled guilty today to two counts of Embezzlement by a Public Official in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated § 97-11-25 and one count of making False Representations to Defraud the Government in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated § 97-7-10.
Johnson, who represented District 2, served as Chairperson of the Hinds County Election Commission in 2020 and again in 2021, until her resignation as Chairperson following the investigation into suspected fraud. Johnson was indicted on multiple felony charges involving the embezzlement of Hinds County property and the submission of false claims to defraud the Hinds County. The funds and property Johnson misused were intended to keep voters safe during the 2020 election which took place at the height of the pandemic.
Johnson was sentenced to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) with 15 years suspended and 5 years to be served in MDOC’s Intensive Supervised Probation followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount $24,216.00 to be paid over the course of her probationary period.
“Today’s plea brings to a conclusion another example of blatant public corruption uncovered by the Office of the State Auditor and successfully prosecuted by our office,” DA Owens said following the plea hearing. “It is sad and disappointing that the funds that Johnson misappropriated were intended to protect Hinds County citizens exercising their rights during the 2020 election.”
Two other individual entered guilty pleas in this scheme late last year and are expected to be sentenced in the coming months. Johnson’s conviction in this matter renders her ineligible to hold elected office or other position of public trust in the State of Mississippi.
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Yesterday, as I drove home after qualifying to run for reelection as Hinds County District Attorney, my son sent me a text message letting me know to take an alternate route home due to a shooting on the route I usually take. A 15-year-old named was shot and killed. It is extremely disheartening that Jackson’s first homicide of the new year, is a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. The area of Jackson where she was killed is one that I drive through often with my children. My son is not 15, but he is not far from it, and his sister and brother are not far behind him.
I am extremely proud of the work we have done since I took office as District Attorney. Just this past year, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office resolved 1,017 felony cases, 15% more than the year before; however, yesterday’s tragedy is a reminder that it is not enough. There is still work to be done. That is why I am running for reelection as Hinds County District Attorney. There is more work to be done, and I am asking for your support to help us accomplish the mission of making Hinds County safer for my family and for yours.
Hinds County District Attorney’s Office Year in Review
This was a busy year for District Attorney Jody Owens and his team at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. As the graphs below reflect, compared to 2021, 2022 saw: 15% more criminal felony cases resolved; 33% more guilty pleas; 3% more cases resolved in pretrial diversion; and, 16% more cases resolved through trials, pleas, dismissals, or diversions. This means that 2022 saw 25% more active cases resolved through guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, or pretrial diversion.
These results are no accident; instead, they represent the impact the District Attorney’s Office has had on the Hinds County Criminal Justice System through focusing on quality work product and innovative criminal justice reform. This year also saw the addition of new staff positions thanks, in large part, to the Office’s work with State, Legislative, and Judicial leadership. These positions were filled with experienced attorneys from both the public and private sectors. DA Owens is proud of the top-notch prosecutorial team that has been assembled over his first three years in office. Indeed, this may be why, in 2022, 50% more criminal defendants decided to change their pleas to guilty mid-trial, after seeing, first-hand, the State’s case against them. Overall, with the additional funding from our partners in State government, 2022 saw 80% of active criminal cases resolved via guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, or pretrial diversion.
This year, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office secured convictions in the largest public embezzlement scandal in Mississippi history. The Office launched the Reentry program which addresses recidivism by offering assistance to recently incarcerated individuals enabling them to return to their communities as productive citizens. Our office provided expungements, free of charge, to over 100 individuals, bringing the total expungements to 265 since 2020. Expungements enable people to obtain a clean slate and removes barriers to productive citizenship. The District Attorney’s Office is also committed to developing future leaders. Our office offers internships, clerkships, and fellowships to undergraduate students and law students. Over the past three years, we have welcomed students from Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, Mississippi College School of Law, the University of Mississippi School of Law, and other institutions in Hinds County and around the State. But, perhaps, what the office is most proud of is our work in the community; whether it is victims assistance, serving lunch to our law enforcement heroes, or participating in the District Attorney’s Annual Christmas Toy Drive, DA Owens and his team are dedicated to community involvement and support.
The Office invites you to review the charts and graphs below, which reflect a positive year for criminal justice in Hinds County. The numbers show that the criminal justice system in Hinds County is on the right trajectory and, with the continued support from our State and Federal partners, we can keep that momentum going into 2023 and beyond.
Year in Review: Comparing the Numbers
Grand Jury Action: 2,067 Counts Presented
When the police or other law enforcement agency makes a felony arrest, the case is submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for presentation to the Hinds County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury is charged with either indicting the individual for the crime charged or returning a “no-bill.” An indictment is the formal charging instrument that charges the individual with the crime and is the first step in the prosecutorial process.
In 2022, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office presented 2,067 felony counts to the Hinds County Grand Jury, which returned 1,879 indictments.
Felony Cases Resolved: 1,017 Cases, 1,489 Counts
In calendar year 2022, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office represented the citizens of Hinds County in 1,017 felony criminal prosecutions, putting a significant dent in the backlog caused by the pandemic.
Smart Justice
The Hinds Count District Attorney’s Office is committed to Smart Justice, evaluating every case in terms of the best result for both the victim and the community. To accomplish this goal, the Office puts special emphasis on pretrial programs aimed at reducing recidivism and making victims whole. The District Attorney’s Office is also instrumental in assisting citizens, who have paid their debt to society, to expunge eligible convictions.
For more information about the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office, please call (601) 968-6568.
DA Owens Addresses Legislative CommitteeOn October 10, 2022, District Attorney Jody Owens addressed House Judiciary B on the status of the criminal justice system in Hinds County and the smart innovative ways he is working to address crime in the capitol city.
Merry Christmas from DA Owens and His Staff!
District Attorney Jody Owens and his staff spread holiday cheer this Christmas with DA Owens’ Annual Toy Drive to benefit local children. Beneficiaries included Children’s of Mississippi Hospital, Matt’s House Shelter for Women & Children, and the families of crime victim’s in Hinds County.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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