MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Monday new assignments for several prosecutors in the office effective July 1. The District Attorney said these staffing changes will help the office better focus on its priorities and objectives in holding offenders accountable and reducing crime in our community.
Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman will become a Special Assistant for Organized Crime Prosecution. In this role, Hagerman will be responsible for filing all nuisance actions brought against property owners by the District Attorney’s Office and will handle all necessary follow-up to the nuisance actions including, in some cases, finding new uses for the properties. Hagerman will serve as the primary liaison between the D.A.’s Office and the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit and will vertically prosecute key cases investigated by OCU’s undercover operations unit. Over the past several years, the D.A.’s Office has closed more than 100 properties through nuisance actions initiated by Memphis Police Department investigations.
Assistant District Attorney John Campbell, in addition to his other duties, will have a more active role working with the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference and its legislative activities. Campbell will help the Conference in drafting legislation for introduction in the Tennessee General Assembly. Additionally, he will serve as the point person from the D.A.’s Office for the implementation of the Operation: Safe Community action plan. District Attorney Gibbons is the OSC Chairman.
Assistant District Attorney Bobby Carter will continue to serve as the chief prosecutor for the Child Protection Investigation Team that handles cases of severe child physical abuse and child sexual abuse, but Carter will also become the office’s director of training. This additional responsibility means Carter will be in charge of all continuing education and professional development employees undertake.
Assistant District Attorney Theresa McCusker will become a division leader assigned to Criminal Court Division 6. McCusker has been a prosecutor assigned to the special prosecution unit. She recently served as a member of the Grand Jury Liaison Team handling felony charges at the General Sessions level.
Assistant District Attorney Steve Jones will become legal advisor to the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. Jones will take on this responsibility in addition to his duties as a prosecutor assigned to the White Collar Crime Prosecution Unit. In that capacity, Jones handles all office forfeiture actions.
“These changes will help us better focus on meeting the priorities of the office,” D.A. Gibbons said. “It will also help us get more aggressive in getting new legislation passed that will help us meet our objectives and the strategies of the Operation: Safe Community action plan,” he added. |