Gov. Greg Abbott is calling state legislators to create a “Chief State Prosecutor” to charge criminals when local district attorneys fail to do so.
I am calling for legislation that creates a Chief State Prosecutor to actually prosecute criminals like this that DAs in places like Austin refuse to prosecute.
Progressive DAs are literally leading to the murder of Texans.
Those DAs must be held accountable and prosecutorial… https://t.co/8xbCFbSnQD
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 22, 2025
At the time, Abbott was replying to a post on X about Austin suspect Michael Nnaji – accused of numerous disturbing crimes, like threatening elementary students and showing up to an apartment gym nude. Abbott’s post suggested the suspect did not face a jury trial.
“Those DAs must be held accountable and prosecutorial power must be shifted to actual prosecutors,” Abbott posted.
How Might A ‘Chief State Prosecutor’ Work?
The Dallas Express reached out to Abbott’s office for further details on a new “chief state prosecutor.”
The reporter asked why the attorney general’s office cannot fill this role, where this would fall in state government, and for details on potential legal challenges. In response, a staff member pointed back to the original post on X.
The Dallas Express also reached out to Mark Lassiter’s local criminal defense office for input on the proposition, but did not hear back.
Current law, however, suggests how this position might work.
In Texas, the attorney general’s office is primarily limited to civil authority – unlike other states, where they oversee both civil and criminal matters, according to The Texas Tribune.
The state legislature recently enabled the office to prosecute election fraud, as The Dallas Express reported. But currently, a local prosecutor must request the attorney general’s help before intervention in criminal cases.
A “chief state prosecutor” could fall under the attorney general’s office, but only if the legislature expands its powers. The legislature could also choose to create a new position entirely.
Some legal observers have raised questions about the protections against double jeopardy under the Fifth Amendment. However, Abbott said this office would prosecute criminals when “DAs in places like Austin refuse to prosecute.” That suggests the proposal would apply in place of local prosecutions, not in addition to them.
The Dallas Express specifically asked Abbott’s office about the question of double jeopardy, but did not hear back.
A Broader Issue
In November, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot declined to seek the death penalty for an illegal alien accused of beheading a hotel manager, then kicking his head across the parking lot in front of a family.
In August, repeat offender DeCarlos Brown brutally stabbed and killed Iryna Zarutska in front of onlookers in Charlotte, North Carolina, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. The video went viral, prompting the state to pass “Iryna’s Law” – restricting cashless bail and pretrial release.
Earlier this summer, Abbott signed a bail reform package into law, as The Dallas Express reported. Among other things, this required judges to deny bail to suspects accused of the worst crimes if the prosecutor proves they pose a threat to society.
Soon after, the new law required a Houston judge to deny bail to the suspect in a taco truck killing, as the Houston Chronicle reported.
“Too often, Houston judges have let criminals arrested for murder back out on the streets to kill again,” Abbott posted at the time. “No more.
