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 Rick Harrison was born in
Dallas and is an honors graduate from Lake Highlands High School. His
father was an attorney in Dallas and a former Special Agent with the FBI.
His mother was a flight attendant with American Airlines. He attended the
University of Texas at Austin. He then attended South Texas College of Law
in Houston where he met his wife, Lisa.
After law school, he became a prosecutor with the Dallas County District
Attorney’s Office and worked there for almost five years. He tried over one
hundred jury trials, ranging from DWI to Capital Murder, before he left to
go into private practice. While in private practice for twelve years, Mr.
Harrison tried numerous high profile felony cases and six Capital Murder-
Death Penalty trials. He has tried 45 capital murder and murder jury trials
as a prosecutor and defense lawyer. During that same time, Lisa was a
prosecutor with the Kaufman County DA’s office, from 1989-1999.
Mr. Harrison was elected Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney and
took office January 1, 2007.
In two years, his office has dramatically reduced the huge backlog of cases
that were strangling the courts’ dockets. Fines and court costs have
increased due to cases being moved. He implemented a second grand jury to
handle the county’s growing felony caseload. He re-established ties and
opened up communication with the county’s law enforcement agencies.
In October of 2008, Mr. Harrison, along with Sheriff David Byrnes and some
concerned citizens of the county, established a Children’s Advocacy Center
for children who have been physically and sexually abused.
“Protecting children is very important to all of us. Kaufman County
desperately needed this Center.”
The numbers are unprecedented in the history of the county for one four
year term:
-Highest jury trial conviction rates in felony (100%) and misdemeanor (75%)
trials;
-Highest amount of felony and misdemeanor cases disposed of;
-Highest amount of felony probations revoked;
-Lowest amount of pending felony cases in ten years.
Mr. Harrison is quick to point out a team effort. “I am very fortunate
to have people in our office who work hard and care about doing the job
right. That’s the way it should be and that’s what we owe the people
of Kaufman County.”
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