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Our office serves the counties of Forrest and Perry and prosecutes felony crimes occurring in either of those counties. Felony cases are investigated and referred to our office by the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Hattiesburg Police Department, the Petal Police Department, the University of Southern Mississippi Police Department, the Forrest General Hospital Department of Public Safety, the Perry County Sheriff’s Department, the New Augusta Police Department, the Richton Police Department, the Beaumont Police Department, the United States Army and Camp Shelby Security, the Twelfth Judicial District Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and several other state and federal agencies. Our office received in excess of fourteen hundred felony cases in 2004 for review and prosecution. While crime is constant in our District, cases received and reviewed in 2006 trended downward due to a substantial change in detective division at the Hattiesburg Police Department and the disruption in case flow caused by Hurricane Katrina. The usual and expected trend in crime and receipt of felony cases for prosecution resumed in 2006 and remains constant. Felony cases are prosecuted by our office in the Circuit Court of Forrest and Perry Counties.

Our office advises the Grand Jury of both Forrest and Perry Counties in their investigations. Due to the volume of felony cases being referred to our office, grand juries in both counties are in constant session, and felony cases are usually presented on a monthly basis in Forrest County. Our office presented in excess of 1000 cases to grand juries in 2004.

According to the Court Administrator of the 12^th Judicial Circuit Court District, our district disposed of 1700 felony cases in 2004. The number of cases presented and disposed of in 2005 trended downward for the reasons previously stated.

What We Do Not Do

(Misdemeanors)

With one exception, we do not prosecute misdemeanor offenses in any of the various municipal courts, county court, or justice courts. With the assistance of a grant from the U.S. Department of Judtice, our office has a dedicated prosecutor for prosecution of domestic violence and other crimes of violence against women. In order to insure identification of repeat offenders and to establish uniform prosecution of these serious cases, our prosecutor handles misdemeanor cases in Municipal and Justice Courts.

Basically, a felony is any crime committed by an adult which carries the possible punishment of more than 11 months and 29 days in jail.

Misdemeanors (where the penalty would be up to 11 months and 29 days in jail) are prosecuted in the various “lower courts” which would have jurisdiction. Misdemeanors occurring in a particular municipality will generally be prosecuted in the municipal court of that municipality. Misdemeanors occurring outside a municipality, or in the county, will generally be prosecuted in justice court. In some cases, individuals may file charges themselves through either a municipal court or justice court.

If you have questions regarding a misdemeanor offense, you will need to contact the law enforcement agency which covers the area where the offense occurred.

(Youth Court and/or Delinquency Cases)

We do not prosecute delinquent acts that are subject to the jurisdiction of Juvenile Court. The Honorable Pamela Castle, Forrest County Prosecuting Attorney, and Honorable Paul Wally, Perry County Prosecuting Attorney, prosecute these cases in Forerst and Perry County, respectively.

(Child Support and Custody Matters)

Our office does not collect child support or enforce custody orders issued in Chancery Court. We do, however, prosecute parents referred by the Department of Human Services for various non-support felony violations.

If you need assistance in collecting child support, you may visit the Mississippi Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement website.

If you need to enforce a child custody or visitation order issued in Chancery Court, or a court from another state, then you will need to consult with a private attorney.

(Consumer Protection)

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office handles Consumer Protection Issues, such as “Lemon Laws”, deceptive trade practices, and other related matters. You may visit their website to learn more.

(Criminal Investigations)

While our office does have Criminal Investigators on staff, we are not established as an investigative agency. If you need to report a crime for investigation, you will need to consult with the appropriate law enforcement agency. Please see our listing of LE Agencies to find out how to contact the department that has jurisdiction in your area.

Jon Mark Weathers