Abbott Wants a New State Prosecutor, and Says Local DAs Are Failing Texans

Gov. Greg Abbott is beginning the new year by reviving a long-running debate over how criminal cases should be handled in Texas, and who should have the final say.

According to KXAN, Abbott is calling for legislation to create a new “Chief State Prosecutor,” a position that would allow the state to step in when local prosecutors decline to pursue certain cases. The proposal follows months of advocacy by the governor to expand judges’ authority to keep people accused of violent crimes in jail before trial.

Abbott recently pointed to social media posts from the X account @AustinJustice as justification for the new role. One post highlighted the case of Michael Nnaji, who was arrested Oct. 3 on suspicion of making a terroristic threat outside Padrón Elementary School in Austin.

Court records show witnesses told police that Nnaji was banging on school doors and shouting threats, including “I’m going to go inside and kill” and “I’m gonna find a way to get in,” KXAN reported. 

The account claimed Nnaji had accumulated dozens of criminal cases since 2019, a figure largely reflected in Travis County court records.

A spreadsheet compiled by the account indicates Nnaji has spent multiple periods in jail following plea deals, including a recent two-year sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault. 

In a post outlining his proposal, Abbott said the Chief State Prosecutor would be empowered to pursue cases he believes are being ignored by local district attorneys.

“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,” Abbott wrote. “Progressive DAs are literally leading to the murder of Texans.”

Local officials disputed the governor’s characterization. A spokesperson for the Travis County District Attorney’s Office noted that Nnaji has been convicted multiple times, including serving a two-year jail sentence, and emphasized that misdemeanor cases are handled by the Travis County Attorney’s Office, not the district attorney.

The Travis County Attorney’s Office also weighed in, saying any state prosecutor should understand due process and the ongoing mental health crisis.

“We would hope any prosecutor Abbott hires understands the important nuances of criminal prosecution, due process rights, and the severe mental health crisis happening right now,” the office said. “And if he really cared about public safety, he would champion common-sense gun restrictions as well as make real investments in mental health services.”

Details about how the proposed Chief State Prosecutor would operate remain unclear, but the proposal has drawn support from Elon Musk, who wrote on X, “This is critical legislation!”