Oklahoma District Attorneys Council
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma District Attorneys Council (DAC) is an agency
of the state of Oklahoma
that provides professional organization for the education, training and coordination of technical efforts of all Oklahoma state prosecutors and to maintain and improve prosecutor efficiency and effectiveness in enforcing the laws of the state.
The Council is composed of five members, one of which is the Attorney General of Oklahoma
and the remaining four are sitting District Attorneys. The Council is responsible for appointing an Executive Coordinator to act as chief executive officer of the Council. The current Interim Executive Coordinator is Trent Baggett.
The Council was established in 1976 during the term of Governor of Oklahoma
David L. Boren
.
It is important to note that the DAC does not have control over individual District Attorneys. Its functions are advisory and administrative support only. The DAC does not have the power to investigate, stop, or otherwise prevent a District Attorney from prosecuting an individual or group.
. Under current Governor of Oklahoma
Mary Fallin
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as the Secretary.
, the President of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, the President-elect of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, one District Attorney selected by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
for a three year term, and one District Attorney selected by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association for a three year term. A member of the Council must vacate their position on the Council upon termination of the member’s official position as Attorney General or District Attorney.
As of 2010, the following are the members of the Council:
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
that provides professional organization for the education, training and coordination of technical efforts of all Oklahoma state prosecutors and to maintain and improve prosecutor efficiency and effectiveness in enforcing the laws of the state.
The Council is composed of five members, one of which is the Attorney General of Oklahoma
Attorney General of Oklahoma
The Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The Attorney General serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advise to the various agencies and departments of...
and the remaining four are sitting District Attorneys. The Council is responsible for appointing an Executive Coordinator to act as chief executive officer of the Council. The current Interim Executive Coordinator is Trent Baggett.
The Council was established in 1976 during the term of Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
David L. Boren
David L. Boren
David Lyle Boren is an academic leader and American politician from the state of Oklahoma. A Democrat, he served as the 21st Governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994. He is currently president of the University of Oklahoma. He was the longest serving...
.
Funcations
The primary function of the District Attorneys Council is to provide a professional organization for the education, training and coordination of technical efforts of all District Attorneys of the State. The DAC assists local DAs by providing financial, personnel, and other administrative services upon request. The Council is the administrative agency for the Crime Victims Compensation Board and the state administrative agency for several federal grants.It is important to note that the DAC does not have control over individual District Attorneys. Its functions are advisory and administrative support only. The DAC does not have the power to investigate, stop, or otherwise prevent a District Attorney from prosecuting an individual or group.
Leadership
The District Attorneys Council is under the supervision of the Secretary of Safety and SecurityOklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and...
. Under current Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as the Secretary.
Council members
The Council is composed of five members. The members are the Attorney General of OklahomaAttorney General of Oklahoma
The Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The Attorney General serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advise to the various agencies and departments of...
, the President of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, the President-elect of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, one District Attorney selected by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the Oklahoma state government....
for a three year term, and one District Attorney selected by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association for a three year term. A member of the Council must vacate their position on the Council upon termination of the member’s official position as Attorney General or District Attorney.
As of 2010, the following are the members of the Council:
- Chair Cathy Stocker - District Attorney, District 4
- Vice Chair John Wampler - District Attorney, District 3
- Scott PruittScott PruittScott Pruitt is a United States lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He is the current Oklahoma Attorney General.Pruitt was a State Senator, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties from 1998 until 2006...
- Attorney General of OklahomaAttorney General of OklahomaThe Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The Attorney General serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advise to the various agencies and departments of... - Dennis Smith - District Attorney, District 2
- Tim Harris - District Attorney, District 14
Divisions
- District Attorneys Council
- Executive Coordinator
- Assistant Coordinator
- Executive Division - serves as direct staff of the Executive Coordinator and to the Council
- Information Technology Division - provides information to improve information technology services through efficient and effective execution of technological research, acquisition, and testing to local District Attorneys, liaison to the Oklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationOklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationThe Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government...
- Finance Division - provides budgeting, purchasing, and payroll service to the Council
- Child Support Enforcement Division - serves as state administering agency for Oklahoma's Chilef Support Enforcement Program and supports local District Attorneys in prosecuting child support violations, liaison to the Oklahoma Department of Human ServicesOklahoma Department of Human ServicesThe Oklahoma Department of Human Services is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for providing help to individuals and families in need through public assistance programs and managing services for seniors and people with disabilities. The Department is governed by the Commission on...
- Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program Division - coordinates the work of local Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors and supports local District Attorneys in prosecuting traffic safety violations (particularly vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and vehicle cause injuries), liaison to the Oklahoma Highway Safety OfficeOklahoma Highway Safety OfficeThe Oklahoma Highway Safety Office is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for promoting highway safety. OHSO is responsible for developing an annual statewide Highway Safety Plan to decrease fatalities and injuries on Oklahoma roadways...
- Domestic Resource Prosecutor Division - coordinates the work of local Domestic Resource Prosecutors and supports local District Attorneys in prosecuting domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
crimes, funded by the Office on Violence Against WomenOffice on Violence Against WomenThe Office on Violence Against Women , a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides national leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act ....
in the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated... - Federal Grants and Programs Division - serves as state administering agency for all federal grants and programs applied for by the Council
- Victims Services Division - serves as state administering agency for Oklahoma's Crime Victims Compensation Fund as well as staff to the Crime Victims Compensation Board
- Assistant Coordinator
- Executive Coordinator