Former Orange County, California, district attorney and superior court judge, Cecil Hicks died from pneumonia at the age of 80 on March 30, 2007. Hicks was appointed district attorney in 1966 and remained chief prosecutor for close to 23 years. He was appointed to a superior court judgeship in 1989 and retired in 2001.

Dean Mandros, Christopher Anderson, Larry Kiroff and Brad Smith were the recipients of the National District Attorneys Association’s (NDAA) “Home Run Hitters Award” of excellence and were inducted into the NDAA’s “Home Run Hitters” Club at NDAA’s annual Board of Directors meeting in Amelia Island, Florida. The “Home-Run Hitters” award is the highest honor given by NDAA and honors those prosecutors who score a “big hit” for their office. They were recognized for their outstanding work in the prosecution of the cold-case murder of Ann Pahl, a Roman Catholic nun who was murdered the day before Easter, 27 years ago.

In addition, Anna Green, Kellie Stevens Hill, Sheila Ross and Clint Rucker of Fulton County, Georgia, also received NDAA “Home-Run Hitters” Award. The team successfully prosecuted a 19-year-old fugitive who was accused of hiring someone to murder his estranged wife.

The Macomb County, Michigan Prosecutors Office’s vehicle forfeiture program was honored at the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission annual awards luncheon. The award was presented on March 15, 2007, in recognition of the program’s outstanding contribution to the criminal justice system.

Morley Swingle, prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, has recently published a book entitled Scoundrels to the Hoosegow, which shares true stories from his legal career and provides “a behind-the-scenes look at the justice system.” Swingle has been the prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County for more than 20 years and has prosecuted thousands of cases. Scoundrels to the Hoosegow is available at local bookstores.

Rick St. Hilaire, Grafton County, New Hampshire, county attorney and vice president of Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) appeared on the weekly show, Let’s Talk Antiques. The show aired on Monday, April 2, 2007. SAFE is a non-profit organization located in New York that “raises public awareness about the damage caused by looting, smuggling and trading illicit antiquities.”

Attorneys in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, recently helped raise more than $126,000 for their community through their work with the Cowboy Crisis Fund. This year’s primary beneficiary is U.S. Marine Cody Hill who was severely injured during service in Iraq. Former Oklahoma County district attorney Bob Macy serves on the organization’s executive committee.

Saginaw County, Michigan, Prosecuting Attorney Mike Thomas was appointed by the governor to the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees. His appointment was confirmed by the Michigan Senate on Tuesday, April 24.