Awards
Representative Joe Moody (D-El Paso) was presented with TDCAA’s Lone Star Legislator Award at his capitol office. As one of the few former prosecutors in the Texas Legislature, Rep. Moody continues to seek thoughtful solutions to complex criminal justice issues. In 2025, he successfully fought to preserve local prosecutors’ autonomy and keep the grand jury system from becoming an adversarial process. For helping prosecutors pursue justice and keep Texans safe, he was recognized as the sole Lone Star Legislator in the House this past session.
Representative A.J. Louderback (a former sheriff) was presented with TDCAA’s Rookie of the Year Award. Louderback did an excellent job his freshman year helping law enforcement and prosecutors, constantly meeting with prosecutors to hear their concerns. His peace officer background is a rarity at the Texas Legislature, and having someone who understands the complexities of law enforcement helps create better laws. TDCAA awards only one freshman lawmaker the Rookie of the Year award per legislative session.
Anniversaries
Two TDCAA staffers celebrated their 10-year service anniversaries. Training Director Brian Klas and Meeting Planner LaToya Scott joined the association in January 2016 within two weeks of each other. At our Train the Trainer course in February, Brian and LaToya were honored with plaques commemorating their 10 years of service.
Retirements
Tom Caver, a CDA investigator in the Grayson County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, retired in mid-February after a 25-year career in law enforcement. Caver served in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked at multiple municipalities.
Deaths
Riley Branch, the County Attorney in Stonewall County, died February 22. He graduated from Texas Tech Law School and also earned his MBA from Texas Tech Rawls College of Business. He had been County Attorney since January 2017.