Jim O’Neill was appointed by Governor Bev Perdue as Forsyth County District Attorney in November 2009 and is currently serving his third term as Forsyth County’s elected DA. Before his appointment, he served as an Assistant District Attorney under former District Attorney Tom Keith. Since taking over as the District Attorney of Forsyth County, Jim has instituted a prosecution program targeting sex offenders living within our community, as well as a new program designed to focus resources on prosecuting chronic criminal offenders. Jim is a veteran prosecutor who started serving in the Forsyth County DA’s office in 1997. A graduate of Duke University, Jim earned his law degree from New York Law School. Over the past 20 years, Jim has prosecuted some of the most serious and violent offenders in our community. He has served in many leadership roles in the office, including the chief motor vehicle prosecutor. He was also Forsyth County’s first dedicated Domestic Violence prosecutor. While his career consumes a significant portion of his time, Jim finds time to give back to the community as head coach for the Men’s Lacrosse team at RJR High School. He has served as a member of the board of Hospice and the Industries for the Blind and currently serves on the board of SCAN and Senior Services. Jim and his wife, Dr. Oona O’Neill, are the parents of three beautiful children, including two daughters and one son; all three show significant potential as lacrosse players. Jim O’Neill is up for re-election in 2022.