A day in the life: Assistant District Attorney in the Taylor County Courthouse

Editor's note: This the second story in the Abilene Reporter News' series "A Day in the Life," in which we shadow local law enforcement, public figures and other people of note to catch a glimpse of all that they do for the community every day.

The courtroom was electric. Everyone could feel it- from the jurors to the lawyers to those observing the trial- Assistant District Attorney Erin Stamey was on fire. She was in the midst of a cross-examination of a defendant who stood accused of aggravated kidnapping in connection with Abilene's "toolbox murder."

Stamey had just caught the defendant in a lie, and while she hammered him with questions, she did so without anger or prejudice, she simply continued to question him and point out the inconsistencies in his story. The court bailiff had a huge smile on his face, as if he was in on the secret: that Stamey had just sunk the winning basket as the buzzer ran out.

Stamey has been a lawyer for over 20 years. In general, she rarely has hearings that end in plea bargains, instead District Attorney James Hicks relies on her as his number one assistant to close the case and prosecute those who are guilty. Stamey was instrumental in putting away Roger Scott Wilson for life in connection with the toolbox murder. It was her cross-examination which clinched the case. Reporter-News shadowed Stamey after the trial to see what a day in her life looks like.

Private practice for only one year

From the seventh grade, Stamey knew she was going to become a lawyer. She got an unlikely start, however, in her law career. At 23

, she found herself starting law school as a single mother to a 3-month-old baby, and she graduated when her son turned three. She never let her circumstances, though, get in the way of her dream.

She received her licensure in 2002 and began practice as a briefing attorney in the court of appeals in Eastland. From there, she moved on to practice in Waxahachie as a misdemeanor prosecutor. She then briefly tried working in private practice; she only lasted one year.

Her calling was greater than the potential profit of private practice. She went on to become the Taylor County DA's number one assistant in April 2022, and has been closing cases ever since.

'Hard to say anyone has won'

Stamey is not the type to take praise easily, even though her hard work has resulted in numerous guilty convictions. In an interview with Reporter-News, she said the hardest part of her job is relying on "the victims to trust the system, to trust me." While she cannot always guarantee the maximum punishment, it is her job to get the victims to trust the process.

In the end, however, she said that sometimes "it's hard to say anyone has won (at the end of a trial), because two lives have been ruined in the process."

Despite that difficulty, Stamey also noted that on the flipside of that coin, the most rewarding part of her job is the moment "when you are able to look at the victim, knowing you have given them closure and justice."

In her line of work, there are no accolades, no yearly awards. Instead, she relishes in the fact that justice has been served and takes the praise of her coworkers to heart when she has finished a particularly grueling trial.

Close work with the cold case unit

Detective Jeff Cowan of the Abilene Police Department began looking into cold cases in 2020 in his spare time at work. In December 2022, the cold case unit became official, and Cowan became head investigator. From that moment on, he has relied heavily on Stamey and the District Attorney's office in most of his cases.

When asked about Stamey's contributions to the cold case unit, Cowan said they work closely together on bigger cases and that "an open line of communication with the prosecutor is unheard of." Cowan considers himself very fortunate to have a close working relationship with Stamey, stressing that "it really is a team effort."

Cowan also emphasized that it has been "extremely rewarding and beneficial to have a prosecutor who is willing to take these big cases on." Together, these two public servants have been "very successful in resolving cold cases," whether they be homicide or sexual assault cases. One might call them the "dream team" of cold cases.

Overall, however, Cowan noted that "seeking justice is about networking and using other entities such as DPS, labs, and the prosecutors' office." Together with Stamey, they utilize multiple organizations to get the job done and ensure that justice is served for all victims involved.

Behind the scenes

In addition to the exciting cold case trials that Stamey prosecutes, she also does a lot of behind-the-scenes work at the Taylor County Courthouse. Prior to most of her cases, she will have a "pre-trial" with victims in which she prepares them for trial. Stamey will instruct the victims in what to expect and how to be ready to provide testimony if they choose to do so.

Stamey will also prep herself prior to the start date of her trials. She said the most critical point of her job is to know the holes in her prosecution ahead of time and prepare for the worst. This could be in the form of a missing interview with police or a victim who still loves the defendant and refuses to testify.

Additionally, in the State of Texas, there is no law of reciprocal discovery, which means that any evidence that the defense procures does not have to be provided to Stamey and her prosecution ahead of time. This means Stamey has to think quickly on her feet and prepare as best she can prior to the trial.

In addition to the preparation she must complete, Stamey will meet with a variety of defense lawyers on any given day. Reporter-News witnessed some negotiations between Stamey and a defense lawyer. Stamey quickly turned down the lawyer's initial offer and negotiated a longer jail sentence. Stamey was neutral and efficient as she quickly added onto the time the alleged suspect would spend behind bars.

Overall, Stamey's primary goal is always justice for the victims, and she relies on their families to trust her and her proven ability to work for the best possible solution in an already tough case. It is clear to see her compassion for the victims and their families, and also her dedication to her career as a public servant, by getting convicted felons behind bars to keep Abilene and its citizens safe.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: A day in the life: Assistant District Attorney for Taylor County