Mission & Guiding Principles

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is comprised of prosecutors, investigators and support personnel who are dedicated to making our community safer through evidence-based prosecution.

Our Mission Statement:

The Harris County District Attorney's Office is dedicated to making our community safer through evidence-based prosecution and equal justice for all. This means guaranteeing a fair process to obtain a just result for the victim, the accused and the community in every case.

HCDAO is guided by a core set of principles that shape policy change and resulted in the implementation of new program initiatives. Because difficult decisions arise every day during the administration of justice, the District Attorney and her staff rely on these principles in seeking fair and equal justice for the people of Harris County.

Guiding Principles

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is guided by a core set of principles that shape policy and have resulted in new program initiatives and strategies for maintaining public safety in the streets and fairness in the courts.

• To protect the public from violent, repeat offenders through prosecution
• To use taxpayer money efficiently
• To make decisions about criminal cases based on evidence, not relationships
• To strive for equality in our use of prosecutorial discretion
• To treat all crime victims with dignity and fairness;
• To also treat those accused of criminal offenses with dignity and fairness
• To recognize mental illness as a public-health concern
• To collaborate with other governmental and law enforcement agencies to solve and prosecute crimes more effectively
• To utilize the expertise of specialty-division prosecutors for crimes requiring subject-matter knowledge
• To actively seek input and participation by the diverse communities of the greater Houston area
• To utilize technology to improve case management, service to our constituents, and employee accountability
• To be mindful of our duty to see that justice is done, and, as representatives of the people, to be transparent in our actions