Keith Blackwood named District Attorney of the Year
The honor recognized Blackwood’s efforts to cut case backlogs, expand intervention programs and strengthen public safety initiatives in Mobile County.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood has been named the 2026 District Attorney of the Year by the Alabama District Attorneys Association.
The award was presented during the association’s annual Summer Training Conference last week in Gulf Shores. The honor is presented annually to recognize a district attorney who has demonstrated “exceptional leadership, service to the profession, and an unwavering commitment to justice,” the association said in a release.
Blackwood, who was sworn into office in January 2023, was recognized for his leadership in “strengthening public safety, advancing innovative crime prevention initiatives and improving the administration of justice that have produced measurable results for Mobile County,” the release said.
According to the Alabama District Attorneys Association, since taking office, Blackwood has:
- Eliminated the COVID-era criminal case backlog and significantly reduced the office’s overall pending caseload.
- Implemented the Helping Families Initiative, an early intervention program that has contributed to a 66 percent reduction in truancy and a 59 percent reduction in chronic absenteeism in Mobile County.
- Worked with Alabama lawmakers to advance criminal justice reforms, including advocating for amendments to Alabama’s mandatory reporting law to strengthen protections for children and helping pass the Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act.
- Strengthened Drug Court and supported the reestablishment of Veterans Court, providing accountability while creating pathways to recovery and rehabilitation.
- Successfully sought the pretrial detention of more than 20 violent offenders under Alabama’s Aniah’s Law, helping keep offenders off the streets while their cases proceed through the judicial system.
- Worked with city and county leaders to secure additional funding for the District Attorney’s Office, strengthening resources for prosecutors, investigators, victim service personnel and other public safety initiatives.
Blackwood said the award reflects the dedication of the entire Mobile County District Attorney’s Office.
“Receiving this honor from my fellow district attorneys across Alabama is both humbling and deeply meaningful,” Blackwood said. “While my name may be on this award, it truly belongs to the remarkable people I have the privilege of serving alongside every day. The prosecutors, investigators, victim service officers and professional staff in our office are the reason we’ve been able to accomplish so much.
“Being district attorney isn’t just my profession—it’s my calling. I believe deeply in the responsibility we’ve been given to seek justice, stand with victims and make our community safer. Every day, our team comes to work committed to that mission, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together. But we’re not finished. We’re just getting started, and I believe our best work is still ahead of us.”
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office said that under Blackwood’s leadership, it has focused on reducing violent crime, improving case efficiency, expanding prevention and intervention efforts, strengthening partnerships with law enforcement and community stakeholders, and ensuring victims remain at the center of the criminal justice process.
Blackwood thanked the Alabama District Attorneys Association for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to “continuing the work of protecting the citizens of Mobile County and pursuing justice on behalf of crime victims.”
