Thorp Wants to Continue as District Attorney

Jack Thorp, first assistant district attorney for District 27 which includes Sequoyah County, may be the county’s next district attorney.

President Donald Trump has nominated Sequoyah County’s District Attorney, Brian Kuester, to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee. If approved, Kuester will replace former U.S. Attorney Mark Green, originally from Sallisaw, who resigned on March 10.

Kuester’s name was among the first wave of U.S. attorney candidates to be named by Trump. But it may be months before the appointees are confirmed. They must be screened and vetted by the FBI before the Senate holds hearings before the conformations.

If Kuester is confirmed, his first assistant, Jack Thorp, will most likely be the appointee chosen by Gov. Mary Fallin to fill the empty slot, and he seems to be thinking about running for the office in next year’s election.

When questioned recently, Thorp laughed and said, “I’ve devoted sixteen and a half years of my life to being a district attorney. I’m not going to quit now.” 

Thorp has been a prosecuting attorney for over 16 years. His career began in 1999 as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the Fifth District in Arkansas. From 1999 -2005, Thorp served as coordinator and prosecuting attorney in charge of the Fifth Judicial District Drug Task Force. While working in that capacity, Thorp specialized in drug crimes and drug asset forfeitures.

In 2005, he moved back to Oklahoma where he has worked as an assistant district attorney for Pawnee, Osage, Ottawa, Delaware, and Tulsa Counties. While working for Tulsa County, Thorp specialized in major crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, shooting with the intent to kill, and crimes involving firearms. During this time he was also responsible for prosecuting Crimes against Children. In the Tulsa office, Thorp worked his way up to the position of team captain, supervising prosecutors assigned to the Felony Division.

While in Tulsa, Thorp received the prestigious "Top Gun" award for the years of 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In January 2011, he accepted appointment as first assistant district attorney for District 27 in Oklahoma, which includes Wagoner, Cherokee, Sequoyah, and Adair Counties. He has tried 88 felony jury trials, including 30 murder cases.

Thorp grew up in Catoosa, received his undergraduate degree at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville and received his juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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