Assistant District Attorney Timothy Jones and InvestigatorBrendan Adams have both been working for the DA Dee Bates’ officefor a while now under different grants which paid their salaries,but now they’re officially on the state payroll.

Bates said the grant which had previously paid for Jones’salary, through the southwest narcotics unit, did not come throughthis year. Meanwhile, Adams’ position was funded through a two-yearHurricane Katrina grant, and his two years will expire thisyear.

Bates said the contribution the two made to the team was toogreat to let them go.

The offices, up until July 1, had been working on state fundsfor three assistant DAs and one investigator. But new fundingthrough the state made it possible to put the two men on the statepayroll.

“The main issue is that not only are these guys a great asset tothis office, but it helps us divide the cases,” he said. “This waywe can have an ADA here in the office all the time.”

Bates said the two men are great assets and have been since theycame to the department.

“What I love about Tim is that he’s so thorough. He’s alreadydone everything when you check behind him,” said Bates. “AndBrendan is also a very talented and aggressive young man who is onhis way to being a good trial lawyer.”

Adams, a Brookhaven native and graduate of Mississippi StateUniversity and Mississippi College School of Law, said he enjoysworking in the DA’s office for its overall atmosphere, as well asthe way the others in the office took him under their wings.

“We have a really good atmosphere, and I have learned a greatamount from the other attorneys in the office since I firstinterned here, watching them take a case from grand jury all theway to verdict,” he said. “Dee and all the other attorneys havebeen mentors to me. Everyone brings something different to thetable.”

Now that Jones is on the official payroll after three yearsunder the Southwest Narcotics grant, he makes the fourth assistantDA in the office with Diane Jones, Robert Byrd and RodneyTidwell.

He was quick to point out that he enjoys the ability to work inan atmosphere that fosters such a good relationship with area lawenforcement.

“We work together very well as a team here in the office, aswell as with law enforcement,” he said. “It pays off for LincolnCounty and it makes my job more efficient and effective. Not allagencies work together so well.”

Adams, who as an investigator specializes in pre-trialintervention, agreed.

“I think the office does a good job, and we work well with thelaw enforcement agencies,” he said. “We have good workingrelationships with them, and that’s very important when you workfor a DA’s office.”

He said the availability and cooperation of local lawenforcement officials is a great help to the office as well.

“Because I’m in Lincoln County, it’s easy to pick up the phoneand call Sheriff (Steve) Rushing. But I can also just call Sheriff(Mark) Shepherd in Pike County or Sheriff (Duane) Dillon inWalthall County,” he said. “It makes our jobs easier.”

And both men, being natives of Lincoln County, said they’re gladto be able to practice at home, and glad state funding wasavailable to keep them here.

“I had the opportunity to be an intern for Dunn Lampton before Iwent to law school,” said Jones. “I was doing that to explorewhether or not I wanted to practice law.”

He went from there to Ole Miss Law School, then found himselfback at home.

“I was fortunate there was an opening here when I graduated.Those opportunities are somewhat rare coming straight out of lawschool,” said Jones. “I was happy to move to home district andprosecute cases as a representative of the state.”

Adams, who said he’s very interested in a career in prosecutionas well, said he, too, was happy to be able to practice athome.

“I had some opportunities that came available one on the coastand one in north Mississippi just out of law school,” he said. “Theopportunity to be close to my family and where I grew up is one Icouldn’t pass up. It’s home.”

Bates said a new hiring is under way under the Katrina grant,which will fund another investigator, who like Adams, will befunded for two years. He said he hopes the hiring will be finalizedin the next few weeks.