About JEnnifer Ott

Jennifer Ott was licensed in November 2003. Jennifer started as an intern in 2001 at the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office. It was during that time, Jennifer quickly realized at that time that prosecution was her calling. She graduated from South Texas College of Law in 2003 and immediately went back to her passion, prosecution, in January of 2004.

 

Jennifer started as a misdemeanor prosecutor in 2004 and quickly rose through the ranks to a felony 2 prosecutor within the same year. She was tasked with trying major cases and became a Chief felony prosecutor in 2006.

 

Jennifer has always wanted to seek justice. Jennifer has been a child abuse prosecutor and a felony Court Chief. As a felony Court chief, Jennifer first chaired Capital Murders, Murders, Aggravated Robberies, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child cases and many more. Jennifer has over 80 jury trials. In 2017, Jennifer had the honor of being asked by the leadership of the Office to be the Chief of the Public Integrity Division. It was there that she was tasked with prosecuting public corruption cases involving police officers and public officials. Cases included official oppression, theft by public servants and investigating and potentially charging all Officer Involved Shootings and In Custody Death cases. 

 

After over 18 years of Public Service and over 80 jury trials, Jennifer left the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office in 2022 because her legal and ethical standards were no longer aligned with the Office she put her heart and soul into. When she left her beloved job, she became a criminal defense attorney to better understand the system. She had her own criminal defense practice from April of 2022 until she received the opportunity to work for the Galveston County Misdemeanor Mental Health Public Defender’s Office. It is there that she is a public defender helping those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and have found their way into the system. Stepping into different legal positions, other than just being an Assistant District Attorney, opened her eyes to see what is most important in the Galveston County Criminal Justice System…Experience, Integrity and Accountability.

 

A huge part of prosecution is working with local law enforcement. Jennifer is known within the law enforcement community as always being available, trustworthy and no nonsense. She prides herself in the fact that even after being in charge of prosecuting police officers, she has had many in law enforcement tell her she is trusted to do the right thing.

 

Jennifer was born and raised in Galveston County. She is proud to call herself a BOI and graduated high school from O’Connell High School in 1994. Jennifer knew when she graduated her dream was to become an attorney. Jennifer went on to get her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Texas A&M University in College Station in 1998.

 

After working as a Public Relations Coordinator at Moody Gardens helping open the Moody Gardens Hotel and Aquarium she decided to enroll at South Texas College of Law in Houston in 2000. While interning in the summer of 2001 for The Galveston County DA’s office she realized that seeking justice and being a voice for those in need was her calling.

Jennifer is married to her husband, Jason, who has been an educator for over two decades. They live in League City and have two beautiful daughters.

 

Jennifer is an active member of the Galveston County Community. Jennifer is a member of Rotary Club of Galveston, Galveston Island Kiwanis Club, where she is a board member serving as President-Elect, Clear Creek Republican Women where she is a Board Member serving as Parliamentarian, Galveston Republican Women, and Galveston Island Pachyderm Club, where she is their legal liaison. Jennifer is also a proud board member at The Independence Village in Texas City and ADA House in Galveston. In addition, she served on the Board of the Victory Lakes Intermediate School Curriculum Instruction Improvement Council (CIIC) from 2022 to 2024.