Shem Vinton joined the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center in Jaunary 2022 as a Policy Attorney focused on improving early-stage criminal procedure and prosecutorial charging practices.
Shem is a 2008 graduate of the University of Texas and a 2018 graduate of the SMU Dedman School of Law. Before attending law school, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve, through which he served in Iraq, as well as active-duty tours within the United States.
Shem joins the Deason Center after spending three years in the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office in Corpus Christi, TX. He served in both the misdemeanor and felony trial divisions and was assigned to the Nueces County Veterans’ Treatment Court, which he describes as a passion project that resulted in his most consequential work. Shem hopes to continue work in the same vein at the Deason Center, bringing the unique perspective of a prosecutor to the policy team.