Our Assistant District Attorneys

A native of Pearl River County, Beau A. Stewart graduated from Picayune Memorial High School in 1980. He earned a bachelor’s degree (1987) and a law degree (1990) from the University of Mississippi.

In 1994, as a Special Assistant Attorney General, Beau served as Director/Prosecuting Attorney for the Coast Regional Drug Prosecution Unit. He focused on drug trafficking and gang-related crime in six coastal counties of Mississippi. He subsequently directed the Harrison County Drug Court Planning Initiative.

In 1996, Beau was appointed Assistant District Attorney for the Second Circuit Court District (Harrison, Hancock, and Stone Counties), prosecuting homicides and other violent crimes, crimes against women and children, financial crimes, cases of public corruption, and drug- and alcohol-related felonies.

In private practice, Beau has represented various public bodies, including the City of Gulfport, Hancock County, Region 8 Housing Authority, Mississippi Coast Coliseum Commission, and the City of Mobile, AL. He is admitted to practice in all Mississippi courts and before the United States Supreme Court.

Reginald “Chip” Robin Lewis Jr. graduated from Presbyterian Christian School in 2008 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2013 with honors. In 2017, Chip graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law with a Certificate in Criminal Law. While at the University of Mississippi School of Law, Chip was a member of the Mississippi Law Journal and was published in Mississippi Law Journal, Volume 85.

Currently, Chip prosecutes felony crimes in Jefferson Davis and Lawrence Counties. Before being appointed Assistant District Attorney, Chip worked in The Kilpatrick Firm in Oxford, MS, where he primarily focused on criminal defense and family law litigation. After leaving Oxford, Chip served as Lamar County’s Chief Public Defender.

Chip currently lives in Hattiesburg, MS, with his wife, Michelle, and son, William.

Lauren Barnes Harless graduated from Hancock High School in 1993 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1997. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi in 2000.

Lauren is licensed to practice law in the State of Mississippi. Her prior experience includes clerkships with both the Mississippi Supreme Court and the Mississippi Court of Appeals. She has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the 15th Circuit Court District since 2002 and currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney in Lamar County.

Lauren received the Multidisciplinary Team Award for her participation in the Multidisciplinary Team in both 2003 and 2004.

Lauren has served as the Chairman of the Prosecutor’s Section of the Mississippi Bar and serves on the legislative committee of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association. She has also been appointed by the Governor to serve on the Children’s Justice Act Task Force, which meets quarterly in Jackson, MS.

Lauren lives in Purvis, MS, with her husband and two daughters and is a member of the First Baptist Church of Purvis.

John Dowdy graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He earned a law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.

John is a career prosecutor of over 30 years in both the Federal and State Courts. He began his career in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney.

Upon retiring from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2016, John served as Executive Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics before coming to the 15th Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office in January 2020.

Kim Thomas Harlin is originally from Vicksburg, MS, and graduated from Warren Central High School in 2000. She received her Bachelor of the Arts degree with Honors in History and a Minor in the Classics from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Kim attended the University of Mississippi School of Law and obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree Cum Laude in 2007.

Kim is licensed to practice in all State and Federal Courts in Mississippi. She has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the 15th Circuit Court District since 2009 and currently prosecutes felony crimes in Lamar County. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s Office, she served as the Judicial Law Clerk for the late Honorable R.I. Prichard for the 15th District.

Presently, Kim serves as an officer for the Prosecutor’s Section of the Mississippi Bar Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association. She previously served as Chair of the Prosecutor’s Section of the Mississippi Bar and is a member of the curriculum committee for the Prosecutors Association. She is an alumni member of the 2009 Area Development Partnership’s Leadership Pinebelt Class.

Kim currently lives in Hattiesburg, MS, with her husband and son and is a member of Temple Baptist Church.

Christina H. Holcomb is originally from Woodville, Wilkinson County, MS. She graduated valedictorian from Wilkinson County Christian Academy in 2001. She also studied at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she met her husband, Greg Holcomb.

Upon completion of law school, Christina clerked with the Honorable Edwin H. Roberts, Jr., Chancellor for the 18th Chancery Court District for over two years. Christina practiced law with Williams, Williams & Montgomery, P.A. for over six years.

Christina and Greg have been married for over 10 years and live with their two daughters in Poplarville, MS.

Laurel Blue Brinkley grew up in Louisville, MS, and graduated from Madison Central High School in 1999. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Communications Studies and Spanish from Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

After graduating from Belmont, Laurel lived for two years in Paris, France, where she studied at Sorbonne Université and taught English at a Parisian high school. She returned to Mississippi to attend the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor in 2009.

Laurel prosecutes felony crimes in Marion County. Before joining the District Attorney’s Office, she served as Court Administrator for Circuit Court Judge Prentiss Harrell and Judicial Law Clerk for the late Circuit Court Judge Marcus Gordon.

Laurel and her husband, Taylor, reside in Hattiesburg, MS, with their two children.

Carpenter S. Marsalis is a native of Pascagoula, MS. She graduated from Resurrection Catholic High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Studies with a Minor in Political Science from Millsaps College.

She attended Mississippi College School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctorate degree in 2018 with a Certificate in Healthcare Law. While at MC Law, Carpenter completed her externship at the Mississippi Court of Appeals with the Honorable Virginia Carter Carlton.

Carpenter is licensed to practice law in the State of Mississippi. Before coming to the 15th Circuit Court District, she served as Judicial Law Clerk at the Mississippi Court of Appeals for the Honorable T. Kenneth Griffis and the Honorable Anthony N. Lawrence.

As Assistant District Attorney for the 15th Circuit Court District, Carpenter primarily prosecutes crimes involving sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse.

Carpenter has served on the Board of the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association and volunteered with Prevent Child Abuse America, an organization with the mission of preventing the abuse and neglect of children across the U.S. She has also volunteered with MC Law as a coach and faculty member in their trial advocacy program.

Carpenter lives in West Hattiesburg, MS, with her husband, Charles, and their daughter.