By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY—Career prosecutor Thomas R. Govan Jr. was officially sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama on May 29, following his nomination by President Donald Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate earlier this month.
Govan took the oath of office before Chief U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. during a ceremony held in Montgomery.
As U.S. attorney, Govan serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Middle District of Alabama, overseeing all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States across the district’s 23 counties.
“I am honored by the trust placed in me to serve as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama,” Govan said. “I look forward to working alongside our outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law, protect our communities, and faithfully serve the people of this district.”
Govan brings nearly two decades of prosecutorial experience in federal, state, and military courts to the position.
Before his appointment, Govan served as chief of the Criminal Trials Division in the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, where he supervised the prosecution of violent crime cases statewide. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Alabama, handling a wide range of federal criminal matters, including violent crime and fraud cases.
Govan began his legal career in the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, serving in both the Capital Litigation Division and White-Collar Crime Division. He later became chief of the Capital Litigation Division, overseeing capital appeals and post-conviction litigation in state and federal courts.
Among the notable cases during his tenure with the Attorney General’s Office was the 2024 prosecution of two Atmore News journalists and two school officials accused of revealing grand jury information. The case drew national attention and criticism from press freedom advocates, journalism organizations, and First Amendment groups, who argued the charges threatened constitutionally protected newsgathering activities. After the Attorney General’s Office assumed responsibility for the case, Govan reviewed the matter and moved to dismiss the charges. A judge later granted the state’s request, ending the prosecutions.
In 2018, Govan argued a capital murder case before the Supreme Court of the United States, a distinction achieved by relatively few Alabama attorneys.
In addition to his civilian legal career, Govan serves as a major in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States Air Force Reserve.
A graduate of The University of Alabama, Govan earned both his undergraduate degree and Juris Doctor from the institution.
Govan succeeds Kevin Davidson, who had been serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Davidson will remain with the office as first assistant U.S. attorney.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes and representing the United States in civil matters throughout a 23-county region of central and southeastern Alabama. The district includes several Wiregrass counties, including Dale, Coffee, Pike, Barbour, Bullock, Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties, placing many of the federal criminal cases arising in the Wiregrass under Govan’s jurisdiction.