About Us
The District Attorney’s Office in the 11th Judicial District represents all of Hamilton County. From the north end of the county in Birchwood to the south end of the county in St. Elmo, if a crime occurs in Hamilton County, the Office of District Attorney General Coty Wamp will be handling the prosecution.
Over 30 prosecutors work in the District Attorney’s Office. The courts that the DA’s Office staffs include Hamilton County General Sessions Courts, Hamilton County Criminal Courts, Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Red Bank Municipal Court, East Ridge Municipal Court, Soddy Daisy Municipal Court, and Collegedale Municipal Court. In these courts, prosecutors handle all criminal offenses from public intoxication to homicide. The office also has a prosecutor assigned to each of Hamilton County’s recovery courts, including Hamilton County’s Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and the newly created Veteran’s Court.
We also staff and assist the Hamilton County Grand Juries throughout the indictment process, with two dedicated support staff members and one grand jury prosecutor who is present for grand jury presentments. Grand Juries in Tennessee play a vital role in the criminal justice system, providing an extra layer of accountability on the government in prosecutions against criminal defendants.
There are DA three staff members in juvenile court including one support staff member and two prosecutors. The office also has a dedicated DUI Unit, also consisting of one support staff member and two prosecutors. DUI prosecutors handle DUI offenses in Criminal Court along with vehicular assaults and vehicular homicides that are caused by intoxication.
Since September of 2022, when District Attorney Coty Wamp took office, there have been four specialty prosecutor positions created to focus more resources on the community’s most dangerous offenders. These positions include a Chief Homicide Prosecutor, a Gang and Violent Crime Prosecutor, a Child Sex Abuse Prosecutor, and an Opioid Prosecutor.
District Attorney General Coty Wamp
After graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law, General Coty Wamp began her career after law school as an Assistant Public Defender in Hamilton County, representing hundreds of criminal defendants in our community.
After serving as a Public Defender for three years, Coty moved to the prosecution side where she worked as an Assistant District Attorney for three years in the 10th Judicial District, primary in Bradley and Polk Counties. As a prosecutor, Coty mostly handled serious felony offenses and tried multiple homicides, violent crimes, and child sex abuse cases in front of Bradley and McMinn County juries.
Knowing that she wanted to eventually end up working back in Hamilton County, Coty took the position as General Counsel for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in 2020. She held that position until she ran for District Attorney and was sworn in as the first female District Attorney General for the 11th Judicial District on September 1, 2022.
In her first year in office, Coty took on the challenge of restructuring the DA’s office, and thus, the criminal justice system in Hamilton County altogether, so that petty misdemeanors are disposed of at an earlier stage and the criminal courts can focus on the serious offenders.
As DA, Coty has refocused prosecutorial efforts in two ways. First, by focusing resources primarily on the most serious and dangerous criminal offenders and second, by encouraging victim-focused prosecutions. These efforts include more specialized prosecutors whose role is to prioritize our most serious prosecutions and a robust victim/witness division that is dedicated to supporting victims.
Meet the Team
Executive Assistant District Attorney Kevin Loper
General Kevin L. Loper brings to the District Attorney’s Office experience in both leadership and jury trial litigation. Mr. Loper is entering his 15th year in the practice of law and has most recently worked at the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office as a Supervising Attorney. At the Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Loper managed his own caseload, as well as a team of lawyers and office staff. Mr. Loper is an experienced trial lawyer, having handled countless criminal matters, including trials in First Degree Murder cases. Prior to working at the Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Loper began his legal career at Moore, Ingram, Johnson & Steele, in Knoxville; he then transitioned to Chattanooga in 2009, where he worked locally at Cavett & Abbott in the areas of Criminal Defense and Property Law. Mr. Loper is a graduate of the University of Alabama.
Chief Homicide Prosecutor Paul Moyle
Paul is a 2nd generation prosecutor. His father was Chief Homicide Prosecutor for Palm Beach County, FL before being appointed to the County Court bench.
Paul graduated from Cumberland School of Law in 2007 and began working as an Assistant District Attorney General for the 10th Judicial District. Paul came to the Hamilton County DA’s Office with over 10 years experience as a prosecutor, most recently working as an Assistant District Attorney General and Team Leader (Supervisor) for Bradley and Polk Counties. Some recent homicide cases of note that Paul handled as an Assistant District Attorney include: State v. Roberto Wielzen (McMinn County), State v. Carla Clausell (Bradley County), State v. Alfonvo Johnson (Bradley County).
Paul also has experience in private practice as a member of a small firm (Chancey, Kanavos, Love & Painter) and as a solo practitioner before working as an Assistant Public Defender for the 10th Judicial District under Public Defender Richard Hughes.
Notably, Paul is also a former Military Police Officer with the Alabama Army National Guard who deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2010. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious), Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; and, the Alabama Commendation Medal.
Paul has also been a guest lecturer at the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference on the topics of the Rules of Evidence, Defeating Defenses, Courtroom Technology.
Gang and Violent Crime Prosecutor Austin Scofield
Austin graduated from UT Chattanooga (2004) and University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (2011). He began his career with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office in Memphis as an Assistant District Attorney in 2011 and, in that role, prosecuted cases in Memphis for 10+ years. For the last six years of his service in Memphis, Austin primarily prosecuted gang-related crimes of violence including first degree murders, a mass shooting, attempted murders, aggravated robberies, and carjackings as part of the Gang Unit. During this time, he also worked closely with the Shelby County Multi-Agency Gang Unit to conduct long-term investigations into gangs engaged in group violence and narcotics trafficking through the use of wiretaps, including two successful homicide wiretaps. Austin’s experience includes complex litigation for widely reported cases like the murders of NBA player (and Memphis hometown hero) Lorenzen Wright, the rapper Adolph Thornton AKA Young Dolph, and most recently, the abducted runner, teacher and mother Eliza Fletcher. Prior to attending law school, Austin worked as a probation officer in Grundy and Marion counties.
Victim/Witness Coordinator Rose Kehinde
Rose Kehinde is an experienced professional who specializes in grief counseling, life coaching, and empowerment speaking. She has an unwavering dedication to inspiring individuals to embrace the journey through grief and navigate life after loss. Despite being a transplant to Chattanooga, Rose Kehinde has made the city her home and is proud to be a graduate of the University of TN at Chattanooga. With her warm and welcoming demeanor, she makes everyone feel immediately at ease and listened to.
Administrative Assistant Tasha Black
Tasha Black is originally from Madisonville, Tennessee and began her work in criminal justice in 2014, serving as a secretary in the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for four years, from 2015-2019. During this time, she demonstrated exceptional organizational and administrative skills while also learning the intricacies of the criminal justice system. In 2020, she transitioned out of the criminal realm but remained in government service when she went to work for the County Mayor’s Office, Mitch Ingram, in Monroe County, TN. Notably, Tasha also holds a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Tasha’s experience in both the judicial and executive branches of local government has equipped her with a unique perspective and a diverse skill set.
In the Hamilton County DA’s Office Tasha acts as the supervisor over all support staff and serves as the personal secretary for the District Attorney, Coty Wamp.