First and foremost, I want to thank the citizens of Freestone County for allowing me to serve as their County and District Attorney these past eight years. It has been an honor to be entrusted with the awesome responsibility of seeking justice within the law for the State of Texas here in Freestone County.
When I began eight years ago, as Freestone County/District Attorney I knew that the decisions I would be making in fulfilling my oath to seek justice would not be made to make people happy. These decisions would be guided by integrity, fairness, and objectivity above all. To do anything else would cause injustices and harm to the cause of justice here in Freestone County.
Using these guiding principles allowed my office to process over 5,000 criminal cases (with a 96% disposition rate) during my terms in office with the absolute knowledge that they were disposed of in a just and fair method. Did every decision make people happy? Absolutely not, and I do not apologize as my oath of office was to seek justice, not make sure everyone was happy.
This job gives rise to criticism and praise daily. It requires a thick skin, and the absolute requirement to base decisions on actual evidence not emotion, sympathy, who someone is, or assumptions. This job is not a popularity contest.
The privilege to work with the good women and men in uniform that comprise all the different law enforcement agencies in our county, and out, was something I will never forget.
I am proud of the relationships my office forged with each of these agencies through great communication and the shared principle of seeking justice. It is an honor to call many of them great friends. They are truly the heroes living among us.
The reputation and progress of my office over these last eight years would not have been possible without the help of a dedicated small staff of people I got to call colleagues. People like DA Investigator Janet Rogillio, who gave thirty-three dedicated and hardworking years to the fight for justice in Freestone County.
Others like Matt Boyle, Ryan Palmquist, Keith Meredith, Pat McGilvary, Elizabeth Barnes, and Trish Brewer who stood shoulder to shoulder with me in the trenches fighting for justice here in Freestone County. Each of them has made me a better person.
It is with great satisfaction that I leave the Freestone County/District Attorney’s Office in good shape for the new DA Brian Evans. It has been a privilege working with him over the last few weeks in his transition to take over the office. I wish him the best in his new job as Freestone County/District Attorney.
Lastly, I would like to thank my beautiful wife Cari and kiddos, Eli and Sydney for their unwavering love and support during my time in office. The support and love from my family gave me the strength to endure many tough days in office. As we close this chapter of life we look forward to the next with trust in the Lord and love for each other. God bless Freestone County.
Sincerely,
Chris E. Martin
