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Jason W. Smith, District Attorney

Jason W. Smith was elected District Attorney of the Sixth District in November 2024. He first joined the DA’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 2010 after nine years in private practice, and has handled all manner of criminal cases, from traffic tickets to homicides. In 2014, Jason was tapped to lead the Pender County office, which he did for nearly 10 years before returning to New Hanover County.
 
Jason describes his role as District Attorney in three words: advise, prosecute, and prevent. He advises the 50+ employees of his office, as well as the 1,000+ sworn law enforcement officers in our region. He fights to prosecute the most violent offenders, especially those that prey upon the most vulnerable victims. He believes strongly that preventing crime begins with community engagement and meets regularly with local non-profits, schools, and faith organizations to learn more about how the DA’s Office can better serve their constituents. If you are interested in inviting Jason to speak at your organization, please contact his assistant Samantha Dooies.
 
In addition to his public service in North Carolina, Jason served our country for nine years in the United States Army Reserve, including a 2003 deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jason was an Executive Officer and platoon leader for the 413th Chemical Company for 15 months, until his honorable discharge from the Army as a Captain in 2005. In the Army Jason learned the importance of "leading from the front," which means demonstrating active and visible leadership by setting an example for his team, a philosophy that he proudly brings with him to his role as DA.
 
An Alabama native, Jason earned his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1999 and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Virginia Military Institute. He has volunteered for several local organizations as a Board member, Deacon, and coach, and is passionate about protecting our youth from violence, regularly speaking to students about internet safety, physical safety, and making sound decisions. Jason and his wife Tamara, also an attorney, live in Pender County and have four children. 
DA Jason Smith

© Madeline Gray

The District Attorney's Office has two primary responsibilities, as dictated by Section 4.18 the North Carolina State Constitution: to advise and to prosecute. The DA is instructed to "advise the officers of justice in his district," which in the Sixth District includes more than 1,000 sworn law officers in nearly 20 different state and federal law enforcement agencies with whom we work every day. We employ a police/prosecutor team approach and proactively work with officers during all phases of a case. The DA must also "be responsible for the prosecution on behalf of the State of all criminal actions in the Superior Courts of his district." There are more than 50,000 traffic offenses, 20,000 misdemeanors, and 5,000 felonies calendared each year in the Sixth District. Our priority has been, and will continue to be, the prosecution of violent crimes and career criminals, whether that happens through a jury trial or a plea agreement. Around the state, 98% of all cases result in a plea--a non-jury disposition in front of a judge--saving valuable resources and court time. The DA's Office employs more than 50 attorneys, legal assistants, investigators and support staff, with well over 300 combined years of legal experience.

Our office also believes that we have a third responsibility, though not mandated by law: to help prevent crime in our community. Please visit the Crime Prevention page to learn more about our approach.  
 

Duties & Priorities

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