The Dallas County District Attorney is the elected, or appointed by the Texas Governor in the event of a vacancy, district attorney (DA) of Dallas County, Texas. Currently, this position is held by Susan Hawk, who was elected as a Republican in 2014 as the first female Dallas County district attorney. The office prosecutes offenses under Texas state law classified as felonies, Class A and B misdemeanors, appeals of Class C misdemeanors (punishable by fine only), and Class C misdemeanors filed in the Justice of the Peace courts, generally by non municipal police agencies. (Federal law violations are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas). The office is notable for arguing Roe v. Wade and prosecuting Jack Ruby. Also, it partnered with the Innocence Project of Texas to review cases that might have been wrongfully convicted, which has been successful. This partnership has received national attention and was forged by Craig Watkins, the first Democratic district attorney in Dallas County since Henry Wade.
Susan Hawk resigned from the position on September 6, 2016. If Hawk had stepped aside a week-and-a-half prior, citizens would be voting for the next district attorney of Dallas County in November 2016. Instead, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, will choose a replacement, likely another Republican.