Katie Moulds was contemplating attending medical school after graduating with a bachelor of science degree in microbiology from Mississippi State University, but a summer internship changed her career course forever.
“I interned with a lawyer while I was in college,” Moulds said. “I really liked the courtroom aspect of the job, so I decided to take the LSAT. I got into law school at Ole Miss and I loved it.”
Today, Moulds, 26, is an assistant district attorney in District Attorney Forrest Allgood’s office, where she tries cases in the 16th District Circuit Court, composed of Lowndes County, Oktibbeha County, Clay County and Noxubee County.
“I did an internship with Forrest’s office the two years I was in law school,” she said. “It helped me develop a passion for prosecution and criminal law. I really like what I do.”
Since being hired in September 2011, Moulds has tried four cases. The first case she tried by herself was the May 2012 fondling case of Doris McElhenney. It was the second time a case had ended in a hung jury and declared a mistrial.
“It’s hard not to get emotionally invested in some situations, especially when children are involved or it’s a big case,” she said. “When things don’t turn out the way I think they should, I get disappointed. But this is my job and I love my job.”
Although the 16th District Circuit Court has hundreds of cases on its dockets throughout its four counties, Moulds said she has a better understanding of how the court system works.
“I didn’t know how the court system worked until I started doing it — until I actually started working in it,” said the Meridian native, who now lives in West Point. “But now I know how long it takes to try a case. I’m sure it would be surprising to someone looking in from the outside.”
When asked about her mentor Allgood, Moulds praised him for both his legal knowledge and his office organization.
“He’s fantastic,” Moulds said. “He’s absolutely brilliant. I can ask him anything and he can recite a case to answer my question. He’s a great boss. I like what he stands for. I love working here. We work in close quarters — it’s a very team-oriented office. I like that we all try different types of cases. We don’t have someone just assigned to one type of crime. Our goal is to assess the needs of the victims and see what we can do to get the best possible outcome for them and their needs.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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