Tara M. Lyons Becomes Acting U.S. Attorney For SDGA

by Stacy Jackson

January 21, 2025

As Acting U.S. Attorney, Lyons became the first Black woman to hold a top law enforcement job in the the Southern District of Georgia.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons has been appointed Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia (SDGA), making her the first Black woman to serve in the role as the district’s chief federal law enforcement officer.

The Evans, Georgia resident officially commenced the role as of Jan. 18, continuing a 20-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice, which recognized her as the first Black woman to hold a “top law enforcement job” in the the Southern District of Georgia. According to a press release from the federal agency, as Acting U.S. Attorney, Lyons will oversee the prosecuting of federal crimes for the district, defend the U.S. in civil cases, and collect debts owed to the U.S. Her responsibilities include leading the team of over 70 attorneys and staff for the Southern District of Georgia, which spans 43 Georgia counties and the cities of Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick.

Lyons’ wealth of experience follows a longtime career with the Department of Justice where she handled cases affiliated with federal crimes, human trafficking, and child pornography. In previous roles as the District of South Carolina’s Project Sentry Coordinator and the Southern District of Georgia’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Civil Rights Coordinator, Lyons handled cases connected to gun violence, childhood exploitation, and civil rights violations. She held positions as a law clerk for Henry F. Floyd, Public Defender in Richland County, South Carolina, attorney advisor for the U.S. Attorney’s Executive Office, District of South Carolina’s Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division the Southern District of Georgia’s Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division.

In April 2023, she began service as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and was recognized in January 2024 with the 70th Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. The award, which is noted as the second-highest in the agency, was distributed to Lyons and other staff members for their work on the Ahmaud Arbery case.

Lyons assumed her new role with the district following former U.S. Attorney General Jill Steinberg, who announced her resignation on Jan. 8.

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