ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King swore in Annabelle Chambers as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) for the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is a state attorney with North Carolina’s 43rd District Attorney, which serves the counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Haywood and Jackson, under the direction of District Attorney Ashley Welch.
The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. State and federal authorities share concurrent jurisdiction over certain crimes. Concurrent jurisdiction allows prosecution in either state or federal courts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office have established this formal partnership to ensure that the appropriate place for prosecution is selected. The goal of this partnership is to make the counties within the jurisdiction of the 43rd District Attorney more secure through a coordinated enforcement effort.
In today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King said, “The SAUSA program is an important tool that we can use to make communities safer by identifying and tracking cases in federal court that lead to the greatest local impact. I would like to thank District Attorney Welch for their continued support of the program and for their ongoing coordination and collaboration with our office and our common goal of protecting our communities.
“Cooperation across all levels of government is one of the most effective weapons we have in the fight against crime,” said District Attorney Welch. “The SAUSA program has proven to be an amazing tool for vigorously pursuing criminal activities in the 43rd District Attorney’s Office. This program demonstrates how a strong, successful and sustainable federal and state partnership will help us protect our communities. I thank the U.S. Attorney King. for their continued support of SAUSA and anticipate additional initiatives with their office and mine.
As a double-sworn state and federal prosecutor, Ms. Chambers will be primarily responsible for criminal cases arising out of the 43rd District Attorney’s Office, in violation of federal criminal justice statutes. Ms. Chambers will remain on the staff of the District Attorney’s Office, but will in all respects serve as Assistant U.S. Attorney, responsible for overseeing the progress of federal cases from the initiation of federal charges to disposition and conviction. Ms. Chambers will collaborate with state, local and federal agencies to identify and prioritize cases that come before the state court for federal indictment. Ms. Chambers will also be responsible for preparing upload documents, search and arrest warrants, complaints, motions and responses, presenting topics to the grand jury, representing the United States before all federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina, and others. such duties. necessary for the successful prosecution of these cases.
Prior to joining the District Attorney, Ms. Chambers was associated with Asheville Legal, Wimer Snider, P.C. Previously, Ms. Chambers was an assistant state attorney with Florida’s 18th Judicial Circuit in Brevard County, where she prosecuted criminal cases in circuit court. Ms. Chambers received her law degree from Stetson University College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Sewanee: University of the South in Tennessee.
