Woodlands-area residents can step into a prosecutor's shoes this fall, evaluating real evidence and making charging decisions in a new six-week program from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Mike Holley's Citizens Prosecutor Academy runs Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 through Oct. 20, at the DA's office at 207 W. Phillips St. in Conroe. The program is free. Dinner is provided each week by community sponsors.

Unlike traditional citizens academies that rely on lectures, this program puts participants on teams and hands them a real case file. Each week, teams receive new evidence: offense reports, 911 transcripts, witness statements, crime scene photos, forensic reports and digital evidence. They then decide what charges, if any, should be filed.

"This isn't simply about learning what prosecutors do. It's about experiencing how justice is pursued," Holley said in the DA office's Aug. 6 announcement.

During the final session on Oct. 20, participants present their charging decisions and explain the evidence behind them. Holley then reveals how the real case was actually resolved and walks through the prosecutorial reasoning before participants graduate.

The weekly curriculum covers the criminal justice process, anatomy of a jury trial, crimes against children, family violence and human trafficking, public integrity, officer-involved shootings, vehicular crimes, white-collar crime and asset forfeiture. Prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates and law enforcement professionals from the DA's office lead each session.

Holley was appointed DA by Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 29, 2025, after serving as first assistant district attorney under Brett Ligon, who resigned to run for Texas Senate District 4. The academy is the first program of its kind at the Montgomery County office.

Applicants must be at least 18 and pass a criminal background check. Space is limited. Applications are available at mctxdao.org.

The DA's office did not specify an application deadline or how many seats are available.