A Prosecutor Who Prosecutes

Rachel Mitchell is an Arizona native and a veteran prosecutor who serves as your County Attorney, fighting criminals and protecting the people of Arizona.

For the past 30 years, Rachel’s dedicated her career to protecting families by prosecuting crimes against children, ensuring the integrity of our legal system, and leading teams of prosecutors to hold dangerous criminals accountable.

Rachel has served at all levels of the office. She has overseen teams of prosecutors for 24 years, including the Sex Crimes bureau, which prosecutes crimes that involve child molestation and adult sexual assault. Rachel has prosecuted hundreds of complex offenses, including high-profile offenders who have committed the worst crimes you can imagine.

In 2020, Rachel created the Prosecution Integrity Unit, overseeing conviction integrity and law enforcement misconduct. She has been a fierce advocate for stronger laws against sexual assault and crimes against children. Rachel also successfully advanced courtroom changes to ease the trauma of victims – especially children – who must testify in abuse cases. She regularly teaches young lawyers on a variety of criminal justice topics and is a nationally recognized speaker on sex assault and child abuse prosecution.

In 2019, Rachel served as the acting Maricopa County Attorney after the appointment of Bill Montgomery to the Arizona Supreme Court. Previously, she was the Chief Deputy County Attorney, and Chief of the Special Victims Division.

In 2018, Rachel rose to national prominence when she was requested by the Senate Judiciary Committee to serve as Nominations Investigative Counsel and to question both Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh during Kavanaugh’s widely publicized confirmation hearings for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell received her law degree from Arizona State University and has an undergraduate degree in public administration and justice studies from Grand Canyon University.

Rachel’s Awards and Recognition

2023 Visionary for the Future
Common Sense Institute

2012-2013 David R. White Excellence in Victim Advocacy Award
Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council

2006 Prosecutor of the Year
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

2006 Outstanding Child Abuse Legal Professional Award for Excellence
Arizona Children’s Justice Task Force

2005 Phoenix Police Chief’s Unit Award for A.M. Rapist Task Force
Phoenix Police Department

2003 Outstanding Arizona Sexual Assault Prosecutor of the Year
Governor’s Office and Attorney General’s Office

2003 Crystal Apple Award
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

2003 Distinguished Service Medal
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

1999 Major Crimes Division Attorney of the Year
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

Operation: Broken Oath
Investigation and Prosecution of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix; indicted eight priests and entered into agreement with the Diocese requiring admission of wrongdoing and victim compensation. September 25, 2003