John Creuzot is going to have to work hard for his re-election as Dallas District Attorney next year. And it’s going to start with a primary.
In 2018, he narrowly beat former district judge Elizabeth Frizzell in the democratic primary with 50.2 percent of the vote. Just 516 votes separated the two candidates. Frizzell has refiled to take on the now-incumbent Creuzot.
On the GOP side, Faith Johnson has filed to run. She was the district attorney in Dallas before Creuzot beat her in the 2018 general election. Johnson was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott after the then-DA Susan Hawk resigned for health reasons. After Johnson’s loss, Abbott appointed her to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.
As a district attorney, Creuzot has implemented several criminal justice reforms to the office. In 2019, he announced that his office would no longer prosecute the theft of personal necessary items under $750. Many Republicans, including Abbott pounced. In a tweet, Abbott said the reform was “wealth distribution by theft.”
Creuzot also announced that his office would no longer prosecute low-level marijuana possession. A new report shows that policy has reduced the number of marijuana-related prosecutions in Dallas County, though it still disproportionately impacts Black residents.
Creuzot has a long background in criminal justice. In addition to serving as a Felony District Court Judge, he was also an assistant district attorney in Dallas as well as a chief felony prosecutor.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
