New District Attorney General Looks To Continue Mentor’s Legacy

Jason Lawson has been appointed by the Governor as the District Attorney General for the 15th Judicial District.

The 15th Judicial District includes Jackson, Macon, Trousdale, Smith and Wilson Counties.

Lawson had been serving as the Pro Tem District Attorney General following the retirement of Tommy Thompson. Lawson said he is excited for the chance to fill the shoes of legend he considers a friend and mentor.

“The most important thing for me stepping into this role is to make sure that the people of this district know that we’re going to do everything in our power to provide justice for victims,” Lawson said. “To protect our communities and to be fair to everyone. I’ve told all the assistants that I only ask one thing of them and that’s do the right thing in every single case.”

Lawson has been an assistant district attorney for more than 18 years and will finish out the term until it is up for election in August 2022. He said stepping into the role is about following Thompson’s method of punishing crimes appropriately and instilling confidence from the public.

“I’ve been most impressed with the fairness that he has shown to people and with his ability as a prosecutor,” Lawson said. “Throughout the process I have learned so much from him and his legacy and his ability and the way that he has trained our office. It’s going to continue to guide our office for years to come.”

Lawson said that at any given time there could be 15 attorneys in court across the 15th Judicial District. He said he looks forward to taking on this large responsibility with 100’s of cases being reviewed everyday.