Business & Leadership: DA Collin Sims

Collin Sims

PROTECTING THE NORTHSHORE WITH PROVEN LEADERSHIP

In March 2024, Collin Sims was elected District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District, serving St. Tammany and Washington Parishes. A Mandeville native and graduate of Saint Paul’s High School, Sims has devoted more than 17 years to prosecuting the most serious criminal cases at both the state and federal levels.

After earning a political science degree with honors from Mississippi College and his Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Sims began his career in 2006 as an Assistant District Attorney in Orleans Parish. By 2008, he was one of the youngest attorneys in the country to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting complex cases involving violent gangs, organized drug trafficking, child exploitation, and public corruption.

In 2015, Sims became Chief of the Criminal Division in the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, supervising more than 100 staff and continuing to try major cases. His work led to the conviction of former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain, now serving multiple life sentences. Throughout his career, Sims has built and led multi-agency task forces, trained prosecutors nationwide, and forged strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement.

As District Attorney, Sims has launched and expanded critical initiatives, including a Special Victims Unit with a 95.6% conviction rate in child exploitation cases, a coordinated domestic violence response team that has dramatically reduced dismissals, and an aggressive Opioid Task Force pursuing dealers whose drugs cause fatal overdoses and charging them with murder.

Sims’ leadership philosophy is grounded in example and accountability: “I have never asked my team to do something I wouldn’t do myself. I want passionate public servants committed to making an impact.” He cites his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children as his greatest motivation, and has a deep personal commitment shaped by family tragedy to protect the community from predators and dangerous drugs.

Active beyond the courtroom, Sims serves on multiple nonprofit boards and has been recognized with national and state awards for excellence in law enforcement. His goals for the DA’s office are clear: make the Special Victims and Opioid Task Forces models of collaboration for others in Louisiana to adopt, deliver justice for victims, and ensure the Northshore remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.

For Sims, public service is not about holding a title—it’s about results. “Do the work, be impactful, and use the opportunity you have to change lives for the better.”