About Us

Felonies and Misdemeanors
The DA's Office represents the State of Mississippi in prosecuting felony crimes in Circuit Court which is the court of jurisdiction for felony offenses. We do not prosecute misdemeanor offenses in any of the various Municipal Courts, County Courts, or Justice Courts. We do not prosecute delinquent acts that are subject to the jurisdiction of Juvenile Court.

Basically, a felony is any crime comitted by an adult which carries the possible punishment of more than 11 months and 29 days in jail.

Misdemeanors (where the maximum penalty would be 11 months and 29 days in jail) are prosecuted in the various "lower courts" which would have jurisdiction. That is to say that a misdemeanor which occurred in the city of Southaven would be prosecuted in Southaven Municipal Court, DeSoto County Court, or possibly even DeSoto County Justice Court. Each of these "lower courts" have jurisdiction.Which court it is prosecuted in will be effected by which law enforcement agency handles the case. Municipal Police Officers send cases through the Municipal Court while County Sheriff's Deputies send cases to County Court. In some cases, indviduals may file charges themselves through Justice Court.

If you have questions regarding a misdemeanor offense, you will need to contact the law enforcement agency which covers the area where the offense occurred.

Child Support and Custody Matters
The DA's Office does not collect child support or enforce custody orders issued in Chancery Court.

If you need assistance in collecting child support, you may visit the Mississippi Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement website.

If you need to enforce a child custody or visitiation order issued in Chancery Court, or a court from another state, then you will need to consult with a private attorney.

Consumer Protection
The Mississippi Attorney General's Office handles Consumer Protection issues, such as "lemon laws", deceptive trade practices, and other related matters. You may visit their website to learn more.

Criminal Investigations
While the DA's Office does have Criminal Investigators on staff, we are not established as an investigative agency. If you need to report a crime for investigation, you will need to consult with the appropriate law enforcement agency. Please see our listing of LE Agencies to find out how to contact the department that has jurisdiction in your area.