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NATCHEZ — It was a very busy year for the Sixth Circuit District Attorney’s office.

Based on statistics the district is required to gather and report to the state, District Attorney Tim Cotton’s office closed 376 criminal cases in 2024 — almost three times the number of cases closed in 2022 and 2023, and almost four times the number closed in 2021.

Cotton attributes the success to his hard-working staff and to Sixth District Circuit Judges Debra Blackwell and Carmen Drake, who have pushed to keep the wheels of justice moving steadily.

“To be candid, the judges want to make sure the system is moving in an efficient way and in some cases pushed us to our limit,” Cotton said. “The judges set special terms of court and not a single month last year were we not in court.”

He praised the tireless work of his staff.

“We put our hands on every single file we have and one of our goals was to be responsible to law enforcement,” Cotton said.

The Sixth Circuit District Attorney’s office consists of District Attorney Tim Cotton, Assistant District Attorneys Matt Kidder, Dre Wallace and Lisa Jordan Dale. Frank Smith is a criminal investigator and Sara Strickland Delaney is the victim’s advocate. Cara Moody is chief clerk.

“Cara probably has the hardest job of anybody in the building,” Cotton said.

“I am proud of our staff. This isn’t a job you do for the great pay or the benefits. It takes a compassionate person who very much believes in the job they are doing and is committed to it.”

Cotton said the DA’s office has started out the year strong.

“We haven’t stopped to reflect. I’m too much a worrier for that. I don’t think last year was a catch up year or a backlog year. Yes, we had some of that, but it was more a reflection of how this office should operate every day.

“This is a four-county district. Wilkinson County had a grand jury in January, and that grand jury is not scheduled to meet again until October. But we have already scheduled grand juries to reconvene in February and April, so by the midpoint of this year, we will have convened three and maybe four times this year,” he said.

Cotton said communication with law enforcement is key in keeping a good pace. “We picked up 81 cases from Wilkinson County this week.”

A number of cases have been resolved through plea deals, but “if we offer or take a plea deal on a case that means it’s the best we think we can get out of it.”

Cotton praised Natchez and Adams County law enforcement, which he said were as active and professional as any around.

“Also, we have the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics actively pursuing cases here right now. And the FBI has agreed to help us look at organized crime and street gangs and they have ongoing investigations going here, as well,” he said.