Author

Walt Merrell

Walt Merrell is the district attorney for the 22nd Judicial Circuit (Covington County) of Alabama. He is a lifelong Republican and a longtime member of the NRA. He is also an avid hunter and outdoorsman. Together with his wife and three girls, they spend a significant amount of time “in the woods or on the water.” They also manage an outdoors-based ministry, Shepherding Outdoors, @shepherdingoutdoors. You can also find him on Facebook @waltmerrell and @waltmerrellda and on Instagram at @waltmerrell. You can email him at [email protected].

A story of a Christmas present and the hope of the New Year

I still hold the same ideology: Some folks need prison; others need help.

Walt Merrell

December 29, 2021

Opinion

Is there really ever “a time to kill?”

Many years ago, as a younger lawyer, I was crossing the street to the Courthouse when I met a familiar black woman. We exchanged pleasantries, and she flattered me. “You sure do look like that lawyer on that movie, ‘A Time to Kill.’” I appreciated the compliment, though I’m not sure how Matthew McConaughey, who … Continued

Walt Merrell

June 18, 2020

Opinion

“The things you see as a prosecutor, you can’t un-see”

ADAA Chaplain Walt Merrell reflects on a year of tragedies and helping prosecutors cope with the stress of their job. When fellow District Attorney Greg Griggers was injured in an ambush shooting outside his Demopolis office in November 2018, Walt Merrell knew it was time. Before the shooting, Merrell, the district attorney for Covington County, … Continued

Walt Merrell

December 25, 2019

Opinion

Student protests about gun violence

This week, the reports of students taking to the streets to demand Congress enact gun-control legislation dominated the news. While some people argue about the issues of gun control and others debate the size of the student movement itself, the very real fact is that many young people across Alabama and the nation are forming … Continued

Walt Merrell

March 30, 2018