SECTIONS
Fewer criminal cases are being filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office this year, including a significant decline in murder cases.
Through mid-September, 35,634 cases have been filed with the office. If the current pace continues, the office is projected to finish 2026 with about 7 percent fewer filings than in 2025, when 48,380 cases were filed.
The decline in murder cases is even greater. In 2025, 150 murder cases were filed with the office. So far this year, 73 have been filed. At the current pace, murder filings would finish the year about 33 percent lower than last year.
"We are seeing fewer cases coming through our doors, and the decline in murder cases is especially encouraging," Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said. "Our filing numbers are consistent with the declining violent crime numbers being reported by law enforcement agencies across Tarrant County."
While fewer cases are being filed, prosecutors continue to secure significant sentences in serious and violent cases. In recent years, Tarrant County juries have sentenced defendants to thousands of years in prison.
"Repeat violent offenders who are serving long sentences in prison are not on our streets committing more crimes," Sorrells said. "The hard work of law enforcement and our prosecutors is paying dividends for this community. We will continue to stand with victims, support law enforcement, hold offenders accountable and do everything we can to keep Tarrant County safe."
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