Brit Featherston

A newly appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas has taken the oath of office. On November 16, 2021, Brit Featherston officially stepped up as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official for the Eastern District of Texas by United States Attorney General Merrick Garland. Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston’s oath of office, as he became the Chief of Federal Law Enforcement Official for the Eastern District of Texas, was administered by Chief United States District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, a fellow Baylor Lawyer. The recent appointment of U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston allows him to fill in the vacancy in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, which had previously been held by former Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Interim U.S. Attorney Ganjei temporarily held the highest position in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, stepping up upon the departure of former United States Attorney Stephen J. Cox in January 2021.

Professional Career

A Port Arthur native, U.S. Attorney Brittian Albert Featherston began his professional career as an Emergency Medical Technician on an ambulance in the City of Port Arthur back in the late 70s. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and became a law enforcer in 1981. Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston was a part of the Port Arthur Police Department, serving the people of the city for approximately a decade. Two years into his service in the capacity, in 1983, U.S. Attorney Featherston was honored with the “Officer of the Year” award in recognition of his outstanding individual performance and commitment to professional law enforcement.

Educational Background and Legal Career

After ten years of working as a law enforcer in the Port Arthur Police Department, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston decided to pursue a career in legal practice and committed to following the footsteps of his brother, Tom Featherston. U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston consequently attended law school, enrolling at Baylor Law and earning his Juris Doctorate in 1992. He was subsequently deemed eligible to practice in the State of Texas in May of 1993.

After graduating from law school, Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston briefly worked in private law practice. Eventually, U.S. Attorney Featherston returned to government service and joined the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas in 1996. He was initially appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, gradually moving up through positions in the office as he continued to serve and protect the Eastern District of Texas citizens. Over the next 25 years, U.S. Attorney Featherston was assigned several leadership roles, including the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, and supervisory U.S. Attorney. On top of these functions, Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston was once designated as the National Crisis Management Coordinator for all the U.S. Attorney’s Offices. He was also previously detailed as the Department of Justice Attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was responsible for fugitive apprehension and extradition matters and provided case support to the United States Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.

United States Attorney Brittian Albert Featherston is expected to fluidly become accustomed to occupying the highest position in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas as he has been serving in the office for over two decades, in which he has also formerly served as its Acting United States Attorney. Top Federal Prosecutor Featherston was previously appointed as the interim Chief Federal Prosecutor for the district, managing and overseeing the office for approximately 17 months, beginning in September 2016.

Area of Practice

Known to possess the depth and breadth of knowledge in various legal matters, U.S. Attorney Featherston has handled cases involving securities litigation, civil litigation, criminal defense, and commercial litigation. More specifically, he has managed cases of corporate governance, business litigation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, torts, intellectual property, employment law, personal injury, product liability, and wrongful death. Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston has also worked on all phases of litigation, from internal investigations to legal writing, appeals, legal research, class actions, trials, and settlement.

Most Significant Litigated Matters

During his service in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Featherston has been assigned to prosecute several high-profile cases, including the infamous James Byrd Jr. case. The case revolved around the brutal murder of James Byrd Jr, a 49-year-old divorced father of three children. The victim was viciously lynched by three white supremacists, who were reported to be covered in racist tattoos. The tragic case was covered in national media, wherein details of the torture shocked the whole nation as they were slowly revealed throughout the trial. Of the three defendants involved in the death of Byrd, all were convicted of capital murder. Two received the death penalty, and one is serving a life sentence. The James Byrd Jr. case handled by U.S. Attorney Featherston and two other prosecutors led to the passing of the first hate crime law in Texas. Moreover, the gruesome case prompted the expansion of the federal hate crimes through the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.

In addition to the passing of the hate crime legislation in the State of Texas, Top Federal Prosecutor Brit Featherston also played a crucial role in the creation of a command center in Lufkin, Texas, as well as in the investigation and prosecution of crimes in relation to the Space Shuttle Columbia’s re-entry destruction in 2003 over East Texas.

Office Jurisdiction

The Eastern District of Texas, which consists of 43 counties and stretches from the border with Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico, is overseen by the United States Attorney Brit Featherston, the incumbent Chief Federal Law Enforcement Office. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas has six law enforcement offices with about 120 employees, including 60 Assistant United States Attorneys, detailed across the cities of Beaumont, Lufkin, Plano, Sherman, Texarkana, and Tyler. Presently serving as the Top Federal Prosecutor of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston shall lead the office in effectively representing the United States of America in both criminal and civil litigation within East Texas to ultimately achieve justice for the citizens of the district, as well as for the victims of crime.

Contact Details of Attorney Featherston

Full Name: Brittian Albert Featherston
District/State: Eastern District of Texas
Public e-mail ID: N/A

Beaumont Office

550 Fannin, Suite 1250
Beaumont, Texas 77701

(409) 839-2538
Main – Joe Batte

Lufkin Office

415 South 1st Street, Suite 201
Lufkin, Texas 75901

(409) 839-2538
Main – Joe Batte

Plano Office

101 E. Park Boulevard, Suite 500
Plano, Texas 75074

(972) 509-1201
Main – Jay Combs

Sherman Office

600 East Taylor Street, Suite 2000
Sherman, Texas 75090

(903) 868-9454
Main – Maureen Smith

Texarkana Office

500 State Line Ave N., Suite 402
Texarkana, Texas 75501

(903) 590-1400
Main – Mary Ann Cozby

Tyler Office

110 North College, Suite 700
Tyler, Texas 75702

(903) 590-1400
Main – Mary Ann Cozby

Public Information Officer

Davilyn Walston

550 Fannin, Suite 1250
Beaumont, Texas 77701

(409) 839-2538
Main

USATXE.Public-Affairs@usdoj.gov
E-mail Address

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Updated: August 3, 2022