DA Jim O'Neill

District Attorney
Jim O'Neill

Forsyth County

Prosecutorial District 31

(336) 779-6338
Forsyth County Hall of Justice 200 North Main Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
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About Your District Attorney

The District Attorney for the Thirty-First Prosecutorial District is Jim O’Neill

Thank you for visiting the web site of the District Attorney’s Office in Prosecutorial District 31, which encompasses all of Forsyth County in North Carolina. It is the duty of this office to represent the State with integrity and professionalism, while protecting victims and their rights, in the pursuit of justice.

The goal of this site is to make the information and services provided by the District Attorneys’ Office and the criminal justice system available to the public. Please take the time to search each webpage and explore all of the information we have provided you. Should you have any questions, we have also included details on how you may contact us.

“District Attorney” commonly refers to an attorney for the community elected by the people in his/her district to represent the interests of the general public, including crime victims in court proceedings against people accused of committing crimes. Other jurisdictions use various terms: Prosecutor, U.S. Attorney (a federal prosecutor), Solicitor, or State’s Attorney.

The primary duty of the District Attorney is to prosecute all criminal cases filed in the district. The District Attorney represents the state in all criminal and some juvenile matters. In addition, the District Attorney is responsible for preparing the criminal trial docket and advising law enforcement officers in the district.

Jim O’Neill was appointed by Governor Bev Perdue as Forsyth County District Attorney in November 2009, and is currently serving his first term as Forsyth County’s elected DA.  Prior to his appointment, he served as an Assistant District Attorney under former District Attorney Tom Keith.  Since taking over as the District Attorney of Forsyth County, Jim has instituted a prosecution program targeting sex offenders living within our community, as well as a new program designed to focus resources on prosecuting chronic criminal offenders.

Jim is a veteran prosecutor who started serving in the Forsyth County DA’s office in 1997. A graduate of Duke University, Jim earned his law degree from New York Law School.  Over the past 20 years, Jim has prosecuted some of the most serious and violent offenders in our community.  He has served in many leadership roles in the office, including chief motor vehicle prosecutor.  He was also Forsyth County’s first dedicated Domestic Violence prosecutor. 

While his career consumes a significant portion of his time, Jim finds time to give back to the community in his role as head coach for the Men’s Lacrosse team at RJR High School.  He has served as a member of the board of Hospice and the Industries for the Blind, and currently serves on the board of SCAN and Senior Services.  Jim and his wife, Dr. Oona O’Neill, are the parents of three beautiful children, including two daughters and one son; all three show significant potential as lacrosse players.