For the first time, Cass County, Texas, voters elected a woman last week to serve as District Attorney.
Courtney Shelton unseated incumbent Randall Lee with 2,084 votes to his 1,719 in the Republican primary. Because no candidate filed to run as a Democrat, Shelton will assume the office Jan. 1.
"Being the first female District Attorney in Cass County is truly an honor and a privilege. It shows that no matter who you are, if you want something badly enough, and you are willing to work for it, you can do anything you set your mind to," Shelton said. "I knew this position was not going to be handed to me. I worked hard during the campaign and I intend to work even harder when sworn in."
Shelton said she decided to run for office after working as an Assistant District Attorney.
"I was reviewing most of the felony case files, assisting law enforcement in investigations when requested, and trying all serious felony cases," Shelton said. "I knew I was capable and had many people encouraging me to take the plunge."
Shelton received her law degree from Baylor University in 2005 and began practicing law as a solo practitioner in Texarkana, Texas, where she was raised and attended Pleasant Grove High School. After working in private practice and as an associate in the Bowie County Public Defender's Office, Shelton took a job as an assistant DA in Cass County in 2009.
Shelton has years of experience representing state child services agencies, where she protected the rights of neglected and abused children. She helped create the Cass County Drug Court program and served as a team member for many years. In addition, Shelton has been certified to analyze use-of-force incidents and officer-involved shootings.
Shelton said she plans to borrow a model from Bowie County to help the Cass County DA's office run more efficiently.
"One of the biggest changes I hope to implement is a direct filing system. This system was implemented in Bowie County in 2011 (under Bowie County District Attorney Jerry Rochelle)," Shelton said. "Since that time, the direct filing system has allowed Bowie County to dispose of the same number of felony cases in a 90-day period as Cass County is able to dispose of in a six-month period."
The direct filing system will not only move defendants more swiftly through the court process but will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over time, Shelton said. In Bowie County, felony defendants are given court appearances prior to their cases being presented to a grand jury for indictment. If a defendant is amenable to a plea offered by the state, the case can be disposed of without the need for a grand jury referral and eliminates many steps between an arrest and indictment. This allows defendants, for example, with substance abuse issues to be more quickly involved with treatment services while freeing up prosecutors to handle other cases.
Shelton said she believes it is important for the community to feel comfortable with its DA's office and believes involving the office more in the community is key to achieving that end.
"I will be starting a new program called Donuts with the DA, whereby citizens will have a free opportunity to come meet with me and some of my staff and ask questions, give input, and just have a casual conversation over coffee," Shelton said. "I feel this will build trust between the DA's office and the community and it will let them know that I am truly here to serve them."
Shelton, 37, said she found her "true calling" when she began work in the Cass County DA's Office. Shelton has been married for five years to Lucas Shelton, a Cass County native and 15-year veteran of the Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department. The couple and their two children attend the Cass County Cowboy Church in Atlanta, Texas.
Shelton is a member of the Piney Woods Republican Women's Club and the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce.
"I am so grateful to the voters of Cass County," Shelton said. "I look forward to serving the Cass County citizens as their next District Attorney."