Angel Myers McIlrath appointed District Attorney of Jackson, George, Greene counties
JACKSON, MS (WLOX) - Angel Myers McIlrath of Ocean Springs will take over a district attorney for the 19th district beginning next year. She is filling the seat left by Tony Lawrence, who was elected to a seat in the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Governor Phil Bryant announced the appointment Wednesday afternoon.
The 19th Circuit Court District encompasses Jackson, George, and Greene counties.
Myers McIlrath has served as an assistant district attorney in the 19th Circuit Court District since 2006, most recently overseeing child abuse cases where she works in conjunction with law enforcement officers and other prosecutors regularly. She also frequently holds community education discussions on protecting children.
“Angel has loyally served the people of the 19th Circuit Court District for over a decade, and I am pleased she has accepted this appointment as District Attorney,” Gov. Bryant said. “Her vast experience as a prosecutor and in private practice make her well-qualified, and I know she will continue the exceptional work in her new role.”
“I am honored and humbled by the trust that Governor Bryant has placed in me to do the important work of the District Attorney,” said Myers McIlrath. “I remain committed, as I have been for over 12 years, to protecting our children in and out of the courtroom, protecting the rights and dignity of crime victims, and to working hard every day to make our community safer. It is my privilege to serve the citizens of Jackson, George, and Greene counties.”
Prior to joining the 19th Circuit Court District, she was an associate at Daniel, Coker, Horton, and Bell from 2004 to 2006.
Myers McIlrath has also served professionally as an adjunct instructor for the Jackson County Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
“For 15 years the staff of the District Attorney’s Office and I have worked to protect children, hold drug dealers and gang members accountable for their criminal acts, and ensure that victims have equal rights in the courtroom," said Lawrence. “It is a mission that we have worked for and believed in every day I have had the honor of serving as District Attorney. Angel Myers McIlrath has worked with me for twelve of those fifteen years and believes in that mission as well. I am proud that I have the good fortune to transfer the important duties in this office to such a capable person like Angel.”
Myers McIlrath holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Juris Doctorate from the Mississippi College School of Law.
She was the president of the Mississippi Prosecutor’s Association from 2015 to 2016. Additionally, Myers McIlrath is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Jackson County Bar Association, Jackson County Young Lawyers, National District Attorney’s Association, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC).
Many people may know her as president of the SoSo Foundation, which she founded after her daughter Sophia died following a battle with DIPG, a rare form of childhood cancer.
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