Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens announces bid for reelection

Joshua Williams, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II

Jody E. Owens II, Hinds County's district attorney, announced his bid for reelection on Friday. He was accompanied by his wife Dr. Michelle Owens and their children, when filing the qualifications paperwork, according to a Hinds County press release.

Owens, a Mississippi native served as a legal intern for the United States Senate Appropriations Committee for the late Senator Thad Cochran and as the Chief Policy Counsel and Managing Attorney of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi Office, where he led efforts to reform the state’s criminal justice, education, and mental health systems, according to the Hinds County DA office.

Owens received his undergraduate degree from Jackson State University where he graduated summa cum laude before receiving his law degree from Howard University School of Law.

Owens, who is from Terry, said he is proud of the work he has done during his first term.

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"However, there is still work to be done and I look forward to continuing working towards a safer, more just, Hinds County," Owens said.

In addition, "Owens has successfully litigated class action lawsuits on behalf of children and adults throughout the Deep South in matters concerning mass incarceration, private prisons, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline," the Hinds DA office stated.

The Hinds County DA office recently released its year in review, on its website.

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"The review notes the major accomplishments of 2022, including conditions in the largest public embezzlement case in Mississippi history," the press release stated. "The article also showcases the successful statistics for 2022 including a 10% increase in indictments (1,879 felony counts) and a 15% increase in felony dispositions (1,017 cases) over 2021."

The DA's office also assisted in more than 100 expungements last year, bringing the total number of expungements to 265 since 2020, according to the DA's office.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens announces bid for reelection