Dallas County District Attorney

Employer / Organization

Dallas County

Next Election

Nov 08, 2022

Filing Window

Nov 14, 2021 - Dec 14, 2021

Description

The County District Attorney is the chief legal officer for the county they are elected to and they typically hold a great deal of responsibility. County District Attorneys prosecute cases that have a state, local, or county violation of the law (they normally are not involved with federal prosecution of cases). County District Attorneys provide legal advice for county governmental offices, and County District Attorneys typically coordinate with the County Sheriff and other law enforcement agencies regarding the prosecution of crimes. County District Attorneys play a significant role in setting the legal tone for the county, and also decide whether or not to prosecute a case, as well as what the specific charges will be against the accused. County District Attorneys typically have the authority to decide whether or not to bring a case to a grand jury.

Application Guidelines
1) Contact the Dallas County Elections Office to confirm that your registered address qualifies you for the position you intend to run for, and that you meet other office specific qualifications. 2) Complete the Declaration of Intent to Run and submit the application by the filing window. For the 2016 election, once the run off election following the March 1st primary is over (if held, if not then directly after the primary), independent candidates may start circulating their nominating petitions, which are due to the County Judge by June 23rd, 2016. Signers of the nominating petition can not have voted in the March primary, and the requirement is 500 signatures to appear for most positions on the ballot. More information can be found here, and potential candidates should speak with the Dallas County Elections Department as soon as possible to verify the signatures and filing window. 3) Submit the Declaration of Intent to Run within 108-78 days prior to the primary election and submit the nominating petition and application to the County Judge by June 23rd, 2016 (for the 2016 election). If you have any questions regarding filing for this position please contact the Dallas County Elections Office at (214) 819-6300 or [email protected], or the Texas Secretary of State’s Office at [email protected] or by phone at (512) 463-5650.