- The governor announced the appointment on Friday. It comes after Jody Owens resigned following his guilty plea in federal court on June 29 as part of the Jackson bribery scheme.
Governor Tate Reeves announced Friday the appointment of Brad McCullouch to serve as District Attorney for the Seventh Circuit Court District.
The governor’s office noted that McCullouch has practiced law for more than 20 years and currently serves as first assistant district attorney for the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. He has previous experience as a special assistant attorney general for the state of Mississippi and has also served as an assistant district attorney in Texas and Mississippi’s Fourth Circuit Court District.
McCullouch earned a J.D. at the Mississippi College School of Law and B.A. from Mississippi College.
The appointment of McCullouch is being made to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens after he plead guilty in federal court on June 29 as part of the Jackson bribery scheme that also included former Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and councilman Aaron Banks, among others.
In announcing McCullouch’s appointment, Governor Reeves stated:
“Everyone knows the criminal justice system in Hinds County is far from perfect, but I am convinced the rank-and-file assistant district attorneys who serve Hinds County do an admirable job prosecuting criminals.
“To maintain continuity, to ensure that those prosecutions continue in a timely manner, and after many conversations with members from the community over the last 10 days, I believe the best course of action is to limit disruption in the office’s operations. Since 2023, Brad has served in the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney and more recently as the first assistant district attorney. Also, on July 1, Senior Circuit Judge Winston Kidd temporarily appointed Brad to lead the office during the transition.
“The majority of his legal career has been devoted to prosecuting criminals, including as a special assistant attorney general. That vast experience makes him the right person for this appointment. I thank him for stepping up to serve until a new district attorney is elected and takes office.”
The governor has called a special election for November 3 to fill the DA seat for the remainder of the term. The qualifying deadline for candidates is August 20.
