ZACH BLACKMON
For 8th District Attorney

Conservative values. Courtroom strength.

Toughon crime.

Proven in the courtroom.
Committed to justice.

Zach Blackmon for 8th District Attorney.
Aggressive prosecution. A voice for victims.
A safer home for our families.

See the record Meet Zach
Portrait of Zach Blackmon
Zach BlackmonFor 8th District Attorney
Three counties. One commitment.
HopkinsDeltaFranklin

01 / A proven prosecutor

Serious cases.
Proven resolve.

Since August 2020, Zach has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the 8th Judicial District, prosecuting felony cases in Hopkins, Delta, and Franklin counties.

Over 1,000 felony cases handled, including more than 120 contested bench trials and hearings, with participation in over 30 jury trials.

Zach taking an oath in a Hopkins County courtroom
A commitment to the law. A responsibility to the people.

Tested where it counts.

  • Capital murder and murder
  • Human trafficking
  • Continuous sexual abuse of children
  • Child exploitation and pornography offenses
  • Domestic violence and aggravated assault
  • Serious drug trafficking and possession
  • Theft, fraud, and financial exploitation
  • Habitual felony offenders
  • Contested revocations and adjudications
  • Punishment enhancements

Serious cases require careful preparation and sound judgment. Zach’s work has resulted in convictions and substantial prison sentences, including life and life without parole.

Board certified. Trial tested.

Zach became Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2026. His work includes serious felony trials, constitutional and evidentiary issues, punishment enhancements, complex sentencing questions, and appellate advocacy.

<1%

of active Texas lawyers are Board Certified in Criminal Law, based on the State Bar’s 2025–26 figures.

State Bar of Texas, 2025–26 ↗

A broad felony caseload

From preparation.
Through sentencing.

Zach’s work includes evaluating charges, preparing witnesses, presenting evidence, examining witnesses in court, negotiating pleas, and litigating punishment. His record spans violent crime, crimes against children, serious drug offenses, theft, fraud, and financial exploitation.

His more than 120 contested bench trials and hearings include trials on felony indictments, sentencing hearings after open pleas, motions to adjudicate, and motions to revoke probation. These are contested proceedings involving evidence and legal argument, not routine uncontested plea settings.

Jury verdicts, sentences imposed by a judge after a contested hearing, and negotiated guilty pleas each call for preparation, discretion, and accountability. The case features below identify how each case was resolved.

Experience on appeal

Beyond the verdict.

Zach has prepared substantive briefs for the State of Texas and personally presented oral argument before the Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana. His appellate work has addressed constitutional questions, search warrants, evidence, preservation of error, statutory interpretation, criminal procedure, and sentencing.

John Lancaster: defending a search warrant

Zach prepared the State’s brief and supplemental briefing and personally presented oral argument on December 11, 2024. The Sixth Court of Appeals upheld the challenged search warrant and affirmed the convictions on February 26, 2025.

Read the court’s opinion ↗
More appellate work
  • Jason Crossland: Statutory interpretation. The court reconciled amendments to the child-pornography statute and affirmed the conviction on May 7, 2026. Read opinion ↗
  • Diamonte Paynes: Venue and evidence. The court addressed venue instructions and the admission of evidence, affirming the trafficking conviction on August 25, 2026. Read opinion ↗
  • William Kinard: Preservation of error. The court held a Confrontation Clause complaint unpreserved and affirmed the judgment as modified on February 19, 2025, correcting the record to show the judge assessed punishment. Read opinion ↗

02 / The work ahead

Protect our people.
Demand accountability.

Firm priorities. Thorough preparation. The resolve to take strong cases into the courtroom and the judgment to follow the evidence.

01

Prosecute violent offenders.

Make violent crime a central priority. Build strong cases and pursue substantial prison sentences when the evidence and the law warrant them. Our families deserve to be safe in the communities they call home.

02

Protect children. Stand with victims.

Fight for children and victims of abuse. Listen to victims, keep them informed, and prepare every case with the care it deserves. A victim should know their prosecutor is ready to fight for justice in the courtroom.

03

Hold repeat offenders accountable.

Make repeat offenders a priority. Evaluate the evidence, criminal history, and applicable law to pursue sentences that hold offenders accountable and protect the public.

04

Build strong cases with law enforcement.

Work closely with law enforcement and demand thorough preparation from every prosecutor. Strong working relationships, careful investigation, and attention to the evidence are essential to pursuing justice.

05

Apply the law fairly. Every time.

Follow the evidence. Respect constitutional rights. Apply the law equally, regardless of race, gender, religion, wealth, status, or personal connections. Justice means protecting the innocent and holding the guilty accountable.

Aggressive prosecution. Constitutional principles. Equal justice.

Zach with his wife Morgan and their son Ben

Zach, Morgan & Ben

03 / Roots that run deep

This district
is home.

A husband. A father.
A prosecutor with a personal stake.

Zach grew up in Hopkins County and graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 2013. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 2016 and graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2019.

He returned to serve this district as an Assistant District Attorney in August 2020 and became Board Certified in Criminal Law in 2026. Zach and his wife, Morgan, are raising their son, Ben. These are his communities, his neighbors, and the families he is committed to protecting.

“I love this district, and I am ready to serve it from day one.”

04 / Ready to lead

Prepared.
Connected.
Ready on day one.

Zach brings more than six years of firsthand experience in the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. From contested felony trials and punishment hearings to appellate briefing and oral argument, he understands the legal responsibilities and daily work of the office he seeks to lead.

Board Certified in Criminal Law and President of the Hopkins County Bar Association, Zach combines courtroom experience with professional leadership. He has built working relationships with law enforcement and the courts across Hopkins, Delta, and Franklin counties. He will expect thorough preparation, clear communication with victims, and sound judgment from every prosecutor.

  • Firsthand knowledge of the office since August 2020
  • Established working relationships throughout the district
  • Preparation, accountability, and equal justice

Leadership beyond the courtroom.

As President of the Hopkins County Bar Association, Zach serves the local legal community. He presented continuing legal education on criminal punishment enhancements to the association on May 9, 2024.

  • Guardians of the Children: Case Journey presentations in July 2023, June 2024, and July 2025.
  • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners: Presentations to SANE nurses in Mount Pleasant in June 2024 and March 2025.
  • SAFE-T: Speaker at the October 10, 2024 candlelight vigil.

05 / In the news

The work.
The accountability.

A selection of publicly documented prosecutions showing the range of Zach’s work, from serious felony trials to contested sentencing and negotiated resolutions.

Jury trial

Human trafficking. A life sentence.

Diamonte Paynes
Hopkins County · March 2026

Zach tried this case to a jury. The jury convicted Paynes of continuous trafficking of persons and assessed life imprisonment on that count. The Sixth Court of Appeals affirmed the trafficking conviction in August 2026.

KTRE reporting Court opinion

Jury trial

Holding child exploitation offenders accountable.

Jason Crossland
Hopkins County · December 2025

Zach tried this case to a jury. The jury assessed life on one child-pornography count and ten years on another. At Zach’s request, the judge ordered the sentences served consecutively. The Sixth Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction challenged in its May 2026 opinion.

KSST reporting Court opinion

Negotiated guilty plea

A murder prosecution in Franklin County.

Kyler Deal
Franklin County · July 2026

Zach’s work included the prosecution of Kyler Deal, originally charged with capital murder. The case resolved through a negotiated guilty plea to murder and a life sentence. The District Attorney’s Office announced the resolution in July 2026.

Published DA press release

Negotiated guilty plea

Prison time. Restitution for victims.

Everett Jennings
Hopkins County · July 2025

Jennings pleaded guilty to first-degree felony theft and received fifteen years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, he tendered the full $222,169.98 in court-ordered restitution in cashier’s checks payable to the victims. The District Attorney’s published release specifically credited Zach’s work alongside law enforcement on this stolen-property prosecution.

Published DA press release

Jury trial

Protecting the integrity of the evidence.

Richard Coleman
Hopkins County · July 2026

Zach tried this case to a jury. Coleman faced charges involving fabricated communications submitted to influence a pending criminal case. The jury convicted him on two counts and assessed four years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count.

East Texas Radio reporting

Contested open-plea sentencing

Evidence across state lines. Victims heard.

Matthew Person
Hopkins County · December 2022

After Person pleaded guilty to an enhanced failure-to-appear/bail-jumping offense, Zach handled the contested sentencing hearing. Prosecutors brought together records and testimony from multiple states. The judge imposed twenty years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The conviction was for failure to appear, not fraud or theft.

KSST reporting NBC4 coverage

News coverage and court opinions are provided for context and do not imply a campaign endorsement. Each case rests on its own evidence and applicable law.

The strength to prosecute. The judgment to be fair.

Justice means never
forgetting who we serve.

“Justice means protecting the innocent, holding the guilty accountable, and never forgetting the people we serve.”

Zach Blackmon

A message from Zach Blackmon

Tough on crime.
Proven in the courtroom.
Committed to justice.

The people of Hopkins, Delta, and Franklin counties deserve a District Attorney who will aggressively prosecute crime, stand up for victims, and protect our communities. I’m running to bring proven courtroom experience, a firm commitment to law and order, and a deep personal connection to this district to that responsibility.

I grew up in Hopkins County and graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 2013, Texas Tech University in 2016, and Texas Tech University School of Law in 2019. I joined the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in August 2020 and became Board Certified in Criminal Law in 2026. Morgan and I are raising our son, Ben, in the district I am proud to call home.

I have handled over 1,000 felony cases, including more than 120 contested bench trials and hearings, with participation in over 30 jury trials. My cases have involved capital murder, murder, human trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation, domestic violence, aggravated assault, serious drug offenses, theft, fraud, and financial exploitation. My work has resulted in convictions and substantial prison sentences, including life and life without parole.

I am Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by less than 1% of active Texas lawyers, based on the State Bar’s 2025–26 figures. I have prepared substantive appellate briefs addressing constitutional questions, search warrants, evidence, statutory interpretation, criminal procedure, and sentencing. I have personally presented oral argument before the Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana. Strong prosecution requires careful preparation at trial and follow-through on appeal.

As President of the Hopkins County Bar Association, I also serve the local legal community. I have presented continuing legal education on criminal punishment enhancements, given Case Journey presentations for Guardians of the Children, spoken to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and spoken at a SAFE-T candlelight vigil. More than six years in this office have given me firsthand knowledge of its work and its law enforcement and courtroom partners. I am prepared to lead from day one.

As your District Attorney, I will make prosecuting violent offenders, protecting children, and holding repeat offenders accountable central priorities. I will take theft, fraud, and financial exploitation seriously. I will work closely with law enforcement to build strong cases, demand thorough preparation from every prosecutor in the office, and pursue substantial prison sentences when the evidence and law warrant them. Victims deserve a prosecutor who listens, keeps them informed, and is prepared to fight for justice in the courtroom.

The power to prosecute also carries a duty to be fair. I will follow the evidence, respect constitutional rights, and apply the law equally, regardless of race, gender, religion, wealth, status, or personal connections. Justice means protecting the innocent, holding the guilty accountable, and never forgetting the people we serve.

Zach Blackmon

Zach & family