Office Of The District Attorney

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Brenda F. Mitchell

Brenda F. Mitchell is a native of the Mississippi Delta and a graduate of Gentry High School in Indianola, Mississippi. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Public Administration Degree from The University of Mississippi and she received a Juris Doctorate Degree from Mississippi College School of Law. Brenda was elected District Attorney for the Eleventh Circuit Court District in 2011 after being appointed and serving as Interim District Attorney in 2010. She is the first African American and first female to serve as District Attorney in the Eleventh Circuit Court District.

Before serving as District Attorney, Brenda served as an Assistant District Attorney for 15 years in the district. She has handled all aspects of criminal prosecutions, including presentation of cases to the Grand Jury, pleas, trials, sentencing and post-conviction hearings. Brenda has tried and won numerous cases ranging from capital murder, aggravated assault, felony DUI and burglary of a dwelling to name a few. With the assistance of her exceptional staff and prosecution team, Brenda strives for justice for the victims of felony crimes in the district.

Brenda has received numerous hours of training in Capital Murder Litigation and other felony criminal prosecutions. She worked as Staff Attorney in the Cleveland and Clarksdale offices of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and as Legal Consultant for the Center for Constitutional Rights (presently called the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights) in Greenville, Mississippi.

Brenda has received countless awards for her service in the community. She is a member of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, where she serves on the Legislative Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Bolivar County Bar Association.

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Brenda Mitchell District Attorney pic
Jamie-Banks

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Jamie M. Banks

Jamie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mississippi University for Women in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology and a minor in philosophy. Thereafter she began attending the University of Mississippi School of Law where she participated in various organizations and regional mock trial competitions. There she earned her Juris Doctorate and obtained her license to practice law in the State of Mississippi in 2010. It was during her experience as an extern with the Office of the United States Attorney, Southern District of Mississippi, that Jamie became assured that her practice area of interest was criminal law and that she desired to be a prosecutor. She began working as an Assistant District Attorney for the Eleventh Circuit Court District in January of 2011.

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ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Nathaniel G. Williams, II

Nathaniel G. Williams, II graduated from Western University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both English and History. He then attended Howard University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Nathaniel obtained his license to practice law in the State of Mississippi in 2024. Thereafter, he began working as an Assistant District Attorney for the Eleventh Circuit Court District in August of the same year.

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CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR

LaQuanna Wesley

LaQuanna Wesley is a native of Greenville, MS. She graduated from Jackson State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. LaQuanna completed her training at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer Training Academy in Pearl, MS. She embarked on her law enforcement career at the Greenville Police Department in 2004 and dedicated 16 years to the department. In 2006, LaQuanna transitioned to the Criminal Investigation Division at the Greenville Police Department. As a criminal investigator, her primary responsibilities included investigating serious criminal offenses such as homicides, sexual assaults, death investigations, burglaries, domestic violence incidents, and various other felony offenses. LaQuanna is a Certified Forensic Interviewer and has conducted numerous investigations involving crimes against children. In 2015, she earned a promotion to the position of Chief of Detectives at the Greenville Police Department, a role she served in until 2020. In that year, LaQuanna joined the Olive Branch Police Department as a criminal investigator. During her time there, she investigated a range of crimes and became a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. LaQuanna remained with the Olive Branch Police Department until bringing her knowledge and skills to the District Attorney’s Office in January 2024.

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CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR

Andre Cartlidge

Andre Cartlidge graduated from Rolling Fork High School in 1989, then joined the United States Army, where he served in Germany before being honorably discharged in 1992. He loved Germany so much that he lived there as a civilian for an additional fourteen (14) years. Upon his return to Mississippi, he became employed with the Mississippi Highway Patrol as a patrol trooper in 2005.
 
Being one to never settle for a beginning position, Andre applied for and was promoted to Accident Reconstructionist. This position allowed him to reconstruct accidents and to teach accident investigation classes throughout the state. He was later promoted to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI), where he worked as a homicide investigator until retiring from the Highway Patrol in 2021.
 
Later in 2021, Andre was hired by the Greenville Police Department as their traffic officer, where he taught classes and approved reports of other officers. In 2022, he was hired by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department as their Safety and Training Coordinator, where he continued teaching classes, as well as advised on the need for potential classes.
 
Andre now joins our staff as Criminal Investigator and welcomes the change of pace from what he has previously done.
 
He lives in Greenville with his wife, Leslie, and son, Gervase. He is very involved in his place of worship, Living Word Fellowship Church in Greenville, where he serves as a deacon and Sunday School teacher.
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VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR

Cassonya M. Lampkin

Cassonya M. Lampkin is a 1990 graduate of Clarksdale High School. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science from Alcorn State University in 1995 and earned a Certificate in Practical Nursing from Coahoma Community College in 2003. She has worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for twenty-two (22) years.
 
Cassonya began her career as a Rehabilitation Technician at Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale in 1997, where she assisted physical and occupational therapy patients. Wanting to do more, she began working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for the same employer in 2003, where she worked under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) in providing care to patients.
 
In 2015, Cassonya was hired by Delta Health Alliance as a Nurse Educator. In that position, she provided clinical and community-based diabetes education to patients, including nutrition care and proper foot care. She later took on the role of finding resources for patients in need of diabetic care.
 
In 2021, Cassonya began employment with Urgent & Primary Care of Clarksdale, where she worked as an LPN and Community Champion. In addition to her duties of patient care, she was tasked with being the liaison between the clinic and the community and with helping put together stakeholders to partner with the clinic in providing services.
 
Cassonya now joins our team as Victim Assistance Coordinator and is looking forward to the challenges of this entirely new career choice.
 
As an avid football fan, Cassonya loves to cheer on the Alcorn Braves football team. She is an active member of the New Covenant M.B. Church in Clarksdale, where she serves as Choir Director, K-First Grade Sunday School Teacher, and Chairman of the Health Ministry.
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OFFICE MANAGER

Lakisha Butler

Lakisha L. Butler, a native of Belzoni, MS, is an accomplished business professional with over 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration and program/project management. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management. Her expertise spans assessment, strategic planning, development, training/coaching, and evaluation, positioning her for a future in management consulting with a specialization in organizational development for small, nonprofit CBOs. Additionally, Lakisha is nearing the completion of her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, further enhancing her skills in project management, leadership, and strategic execution.

Aside from her professional mission, her personal mission is to empower others through a belief that faith, determination, and resilience will get you there. The question is: where is your there?

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