FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
November 20, 2018
Steve Marshall
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 2
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Appointment of First Assistant U.S.
Attorney A. Clark Morris to Lead AG’s Special Prosecutions Division
(MONTGOMERY) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today the
appointment of longtime federal prosecutor A. Clark Morris to lead the Attorney General’s
Special Prosecutions Division (SPD) which investigates public corruption and white-collar
crime. Morris, who currently serves as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of
Alabama, will officially take over the AG’s Special Prosecutions Division on January 7.
“I am delighted that Clark Morris has agreed to lead my public corruption unit,” said Attorney
General Marshall. “She is universally respected throughout the law enforcement community
and is the kind of hard-nosed prosecutor you want on your team. Her work ethic,
professionalism, and integrity are visible to those with whom she interacts on both sides of her
cases. Public corruption continues to be a scourge on our great state, and I am confident that the
people of Alabama will be well served by Clark in this role.
“Clark is not only highly experienced, but she also commands a strong working relationship
with the U.S. Justice Department. Her addition to our office will make the Attorney General’s
Special Prosecutions Division more effective in partnering with federal law enforcement to
target public corruption – a goal I have sought since I first took office in 2017.”
U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin also noted that Clark Morris’ appointment will enhance
Federal/State efforts to combat crime.
“Mrs. Morris has been an incredible asset to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and her absence will be a
huge loss. However, her new position at the Attorney General’s Office creates an opportunity
for a partnership that we have not seen in years. Her leadership and judgment will serve the
State of Alabama well, they are lucky to have her.”
Morris is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice. She served as an Assistant United
States Attorney in both the Middle and Northern Districts of Alabama. In 2013, she was named
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District and has served two presidential
administrations in that role. Her vast prosecutorial experience includes work in the White-
Collar Crime Unit of the Middle District’s Criminal Division. Morris also served as acting U.S.
Attorney for the Middle District from March 2017 to November 2017.
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov Page 2 of 2
A native of Alexander City, Morris is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law
(JD) and Hollins University (BA) in Virginia.
Attorney General Steve Marshall has named James Houts as interim Division Chief for the
Special Prosecutions Division. Houts is the former Chief of Criminal Appeals for the Attorney
General’s Office.
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