Texarkana, Texas — Kelley Crisp, with the overwhelming assist of native regulation enforcement professionals, is proud to announce her candidacy for Bowie County Felony District Legal professional after making historical past as the primary lady to function the county’s First Assistant Felony District Legal professional.
Crisp began on the DA’s workplace in 2010 and was appointed as First Assistant in 2019. Since her appointment, Crisp has been assigned as chief felony prosecutor within the 202nd District Court docket, the place she leads prosecution on a few of the most critical and violent instances in Bowie County.
With greater than 135 jury trials dropped at verdict, Crisp has earned a status for thorough case preparation, courtroom excellence and compassionate advocacy for victims. Nearly all of her trials have concerned violent offenses equivalent to capital homicide, homicide, aggravated sexual assault, human trafficking, participating in organized felony exercise, and little one sexual abuse.
Following the trial in State of Texas vs. Taylor Parker, Crisp and her staff have been acknowledged by the Texas Division of Public Security for exemplary work within the investigation and prosecution of Parker’s instances. In 2022, a Bowie County jury convicted Parker of capital homicide and sentenced her to dying for committing fetal abduction and double murder.
“I’ve been blessed to be entrusted with the duty to hunt justice for the victims and households of victims of essentially the most critical crimes in our county,” Crisp mentioned. “As we put together a case for trial, almost each witness is coping with essentially the most traumatic and tough circumstance they’ve ever skilled. Together with the skilled women and men of our native regulation enforcement group, we’re pushed to spare no effort in preparation, in order that our county juries will have the ability to ship justice in a means that greatest protects our residents transferring ahead.”
Her status as a prosecutor has earned the assist of many native regulation enforcement officers, together with endorsements from the Texarkana Police Officers Affiliation and the Texarkana Municipal Police Affiliation.
Crisp is actively concerned locally, together with serving as president of the ArkLaTex 100 Membership, which helps first responders and their households. This group is especially significant to Crisp due to her day-to-day relationship with regulation enforcement and first responders.
“When a police officer or firefighter dies within the line of responsibility, the Arklatex 100 Membership responds to the household with monetary help as shortly as potential,” Crisp mentioned. “We’re lucky to have funds left over that permit us to supply these grants for native police and hearth businesses. We wish officers to know, particularly in at this time’s local weather, that we recognize what they do and there are folks right here that assist them.”
Along with her work with the ArkLaTex 100 Membership, Crisp continuously collaborates with native colleges and civic organizations to extend consciousness and supply coaching on vital points together with obligatory reporting legal guidelines, indicators of kid abuse, little one grooming behaviors and the risks of on-line predators. She additionally volunteers with the Texarkana Youngsters’s Advocacy Middle in furthering their mission to stop little one abuse by group training.
Crisp is a frequent teacher on the native police academy, serving to younger officers study the panorama of felony regulation that can result in profitable arrests and prosecutions of criminals. Crisp has been chosen by the statewide community of felony prosecutors, the Texas District and County Legal professional’s Affiliation, to participate in “Prepare the Trainers,” an unique program that prepares prosecutors to supply persevering with authorized training for his or her friends.
Crisp holds three levels from the College of Arkansas at Fayetteville—a Bachelor of Arts, Grasp of Arts, and Juris Physician. Initially from Booneville, Arkansas, she moved to Texarkana in 2007 after marrying her husband, John. The couple and their son dwell in Texarkana, Texas. Earlier than becoming a member of the DA’s workplace, Crisp labored for a personal civil regulation apply for 3 years.
As she steps ahead to run for District Legal professional, Crisp brings a transparent understanding of the job, a robust monitor file, and a dedication to doing what’s proper for victims and the group.
“The chance to signify our county residents and regulation enforcement has been the consideration of my life, and one I’ll zealously uphold because the elected District Legal professional,” she mentioned.
