Inaugurated in January of 2007 and re-elected in 2010, Criminal District Attorney Craig Watkins is the chief law enforcement officer for Dallas County, Texas.

Committed to the concept of doing the right thing, our talented and diverse staff prides itself on seeking justice not on high conviction rates. We believe in being smart on crime. This means convicting the guilty and freeing the innocent. This also means addressing the underlying issues that cause the majority of individuals to commit crimes including but not limited to, lack of an education, lack of a marketable skill and illegal substance abuse.

Taking the smart on crime approach also means punishing with the purpose of making sure low-level offenders become law-abiding, productive members of society and more importantly, doing what we can from a prosecution perspective to ensure they do not create new victims. Being smart on crime means we can lower the crime and recidivism rates, and in doing so protect the citizens of Dallas County.

On this site, you will find descriptions of the various divisions in the office, details about our new initiatives to fight and prevent crime in the communities where we live and work, information about career opportunities at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and a host of other helpful resources to assist you in navigating through the County’s criminal justice system.

Craig Watkins
Criminal District Attorney