David H. Estes
The Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia welcomes David H. Estes as the new Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official of the district. By virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act, David H. Estes will begin serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia subsequent to the stepping down of former U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. Estes will officially take over in the Office on February 9, 2021, and shall remain in the position for 300 days or until the Biden Administration is able to appoint a new U.S. Attorney for the district.
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Educational Background
David Estes holds excellent knowledge and is well acquainted with military service and the legal field. He received a Regular Army Commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the Marion Military Institute in 1987, along with an Associates in Business also from the Marion Military Institute. Two years later, U.S. Attorney Estes earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Auburn University in 1989 and then attended the University of Tulsa College of Law from where he received his Doctor of Law in 1993. United States Attorney David Estes has an active Special Member Status at the State of Alabama since 1996.
Legal Career
From 1987 to 1994, straight after completing the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps educational program, U.S. Attorney David H. Estes served as a Field Artillery Officer in the Alabama and Oklahoma Army National Guard. For a while, he juggled undergraduate and law school, on top of his service in the federal military reserve force of the United States. In the time following the graduation of U.S. Attorney Estes from law school and the conclusion of his service at the Army National Guard, David Estes joined the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Redstone Arsenal, AL. In this capacity, U.S. Attorney Estes served for three years on active duty with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States, providing legal services to the Army at all levels of command.
In 1997, Acting U.S. Attorney Estes became a prosecutor at the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Alabama, joining the Violent Crimes Division of the Office. While working as a prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorney David Estes joined the Alabama Army National Guard again, this time as a Judge Advocate. He remained in these positions for about five years until he joined the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He first came to the Office in 2002 and was a part of the Huntsville Branch Office team. In this position, David Estes has been assigned numerous criminal prosecutions and civil litigations in which the United States is named a party. He also often handled high-profile criminal cases with strong precedent implications and prosecutions involving a major dispute against public officials involved in public corruption. U.S. Attorney Estes is a skilled prosecutor who has brought criminal charges against former Alabama Representative Sue Schmitz, who has been indicted for fraudulently wearing combat medals.
Collaboration with Former U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine
United States Attorney David H. Estes first came into the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia in January of 2018. He assumed the duties of First Assistant U.S. Attorney to former U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, which began their unprecedented partnership, ultimately resulting in excellent public service in keeping the communities safe and making them safer. As first and second in command of the Office, former U.S. Attorney Christine and now Acting U.S. Attorney Estes have made significant contributions and changes. This includes the newly implemented Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program, also known as P3, which tremendously improved the collaboration between the United States Attorney’s Office and various local and state law enforcement agencies. The program dramatically increased the efficiency of prosecutions in the Office, including the additional 650 defendants arrested within the past three years in the pursuit of felony illegal firearms cases. In addition, the Office has seen progress, particularly in the nation per lawyer rate in the prosecution of violent crimes.
Military Service
Acting U.S. Attorney Estes has a meritorious military career. In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq as a part of the 122nd Corps Support Group. For a year, until 2005, he worked faithfully as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate and Chief of the Military Justice. In October of 2013, U.S. Attorney David Estes was promoted into one of the senior-most field grade military officer rank. He became Col. David H. Estes and assumed the position of Staff Judge Advocate of the Alabama National Guard’s 167th Theatre Sustainment Command. Earlier in time, he also served as the very first Regional Defense Counsel for the Army National Guard. United States Attorney Estes has a piece of extensive knowledge and exemplary service in the military, which has been recognized several times, including being awarded the Legion of Merit Medal twice. He has also received the Bronze Star award for his service in Iraq. U.S. Attorney Estes ended his remarkable military service after more than 34 years of performing duties for the United States.
Office Jurisdiction
As the incumbent Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, David H. Estes is responsible for overseeing a staff of 27 exceptional Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 38 support personnel that are divided into the two branch offices of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the cities of Savannah and Augusta. Moreover, Top Federal Prosecutor Estes is in charge of leading the Office in serving to protect the 43 counties located in the southeastern region of the State of Georgia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office shall prosecute cases that involve the violation of federal law and represent the interest of the United States government and its agencies in criminal prosecutions and civil litigations. In addition, the Office shall also collect the debts owed to the United States.
Contact Details
Full Name: David H. Estes
District/State: Southern District of Georgia
Public email ID: [email protected]
Savannah Office
22 Barnard Street, Suite 300
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 652-4422
Main
(912) 652-4388
Fax
Augusta Office
600 James Brown Blvd, Suite 200
Augusta, Georgia 30901
(706) 724-0517
Main
(706) 724-7728
Fax
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Updated: February 18, 2021