Dyersburg native Joni R. Livingston takes her oath as a new Assistant District Attorney General of the 25th District on Monday, Dec. 3. Livingston was sworn in by Circuit Judge Joseph H. Walker as District Attorney General Mike Dunavant looks on. [Click to enlarge]

District Attorney General D. Michael Dunavant of the 25th Judicial District is honored and pleased to announce the appointment of Joni R. Livingston as a new Assistant District Attorney General.

Livingston will work in the office serving the 25th Judicial District of Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties. She was sworn into office on Monday, Dec. 3, by The Honorable Joseph H. Walker, III, Circuit Judge.

Livingston graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in December 2002 from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she was on the Moot Court Board. She obtained her bachelor of arts degree in English and criminal justice from the University of Mississippi in May 2000.

A native of Dyersburg, she will be primarily assigned to the Lauderdale County office of the District Attorney General. She has previous experience in the private practice of law with the law firms of Spicer, Flynn & Rudstrom in Memphis; Jones, Hamilton & Lay in Dyersburg; and Bryant, Dukes & Blakeslee in Gulfport, Miss.

"I look forward to General Livingston joining our staff and immediately beginning to prosecute cases on behalf of the state of Tennessee," said Attorney General Mike Dunavant. "With her prior experience as an outstanding attorney in the private sector, I am confident that she will be an effective public servant to the citizens of Lauderdale County and the 25th Judicial District."

The District Attorney's Office expressed its appreciation to House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, Rep. Johnny Shaw, Rep. Randy Rinks, Rep. Delores Gresham, Sen. Mark Norris, and Sen. John Wilder, who sponsored and supported the district attorneys' staffing bill during the last legislative session of the General Assembly. The bill made an additional position possible for the staff of the 25th Judicial District.

"As our criminal dockets continue to increase in the 25th Judicial District, we are appreciative to Governor Bredesen and the General Assembly for giving state prosecutors more tools and resources to effectively handle the growing caseload," said Dunavant. "And to make Tennessee a safer place to live and work."