PHOTO BY DONNA CAMPBELL Assistant District Attorneys Timothy Jones, left, and Joey Norton, announced to the Lincoln County supervisors Monday that the DA’s main offices will be moved from Pike County to Lincoln County by October, which would bring additional staff of at least 15 people that would need office space.

The district attorney’s main office for the 14th district will be moving to Lincoln County in October prior to the official redistricting taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Assistant DAs Joey Norton, Timothy Jones and Steven Waldrup visited the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors Monday to make the announcement and to request financial help for office space that will house an additional 15 people who currently work in the Pike County office in Magnolia.

Norton and Jones spoke on behalf of DA Brendon Adams, who had to miss the meeting to serve on the Board of Bar Commissioners for Southwest Mississippi at its convention.

While Lincoln County will remain in District 14, it will be losing Pike and Walthall counties, but gaining Copiah County from District 22 and Lawrence and Jefferson Davis counties from District 15.

Circuit Judge Michael Taylor sent notification to County Administrator Daniel Calcote requesting that Lincoln County be the new county of record for the district, replacing Pike County.

Adams wants to move the district’s operations in Pike County to Brookhaven. Besides prosecuting hundreds of felony criminal cases each year, the Office of the District Attorney includes a felony bad check unit, child support collection unit, pre-trial diversion, victims’ assistance and delinquent fine collections.

Norton said the Allen law building on Justice Street next to the courthouse would be ideal.

“It would have what we need and probably more,” he said.

Norton and Jones requested assistance from Lincoln County to fund the additional space they’ll need, continuing the practice started by Pike County.

Jones said Pike County provides a financial contribution for the rent of the building they’re in there. Each of the counties the DA serves provides contributions on a percentage based on population.

Adams and his staff will also be meeting with supervisors in Copiah, Jefferson Davis and Lawrence counties to make the same request.

The DAs office also receives funding from the State of Mississippi and uses grants to pay salaries for its two victims’ advocates.

“Mr. Adams has worked really hard to run a pretty lean budget,” Norton said. “We’ve done very well as far as saving money and keeping our budget in line so that’s more expendables than we’ve had in the past.”

Calcote said the DA’s budget for this fiscal year in Lincoln County is $44,850. In October, the expenses will begin to flow through Lincoln County as the county of record. The budget for the office will increase significantly, but a vast majority of that increase will be reimbursed by Pike and Walthall counties and the Administrative Office of Courts with the state until redistricting is complete, he said.

After redistricting is complete, the other three counties in the new formation will be contributing.

District 4 Supervisor Eli Ferguson said the request comes at a good time because they’ve been discussing how to best rearrange county office space when the City of Brookhaven offices move into their new building when renovations are complete.

The DA office fits well within that equation, he said.

“Bear with us as we try to figure out what makes the most sense for Lincoln County,” he said.

“We look forward to continue to work with y’all. You’ve always been super good to us and we’re greatly appreciative of that,” Jones said.