Attorney Marvin L. Sanders brings more than 20 years of public service and a legal career that has taken him from the prosecutor’s office to private criminal defense practice.

With more than 20 years of experience as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, Marvin has litigated and tried criminal cases in Hinds County and across Mississippi. He has supervised attorneys and investigators, managed the daily operations of a District Attorney’s Office, and held senior leadership positions within the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.

A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Marvin’s commitment to public service began when he enlisted in the United States Air Force immediately after high school. Following his military service, he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Alcorn State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Marvin began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Hinds County. It was there that he first stepped into the courtroom as a prosecutor and began what would become more than two decades of serving the people of Mississippi.

Over the years, he has been entrusted with far more than trying cases. His experience has grown to include leading teams, training prosecutors and investigators, mentoring law students, developing staff, managing complex cases, and helping others become better prepared to serve the public.

As a Special Assistant Attorney General with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, he was trusted with significant leadership responsibilities, including serving as Deputy Director of the Public Integrity Division and Director of the Vulnerable Persons Division.

That combination of courtroom, management, and leadership experience is central to what Marvin brings to the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office.

EXPERIENCE AS A PROSECUTOR AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY

Since 2019, Marvin has owned and served as lead attorney at the Law Office of Marvin L. Sanders, Esq., handling complex criminal defense matters in Hinds County and throughout Mississippi.

His experience on both sides of the courtroom gives him a broad understanding of the criminal justice system. As a prosecutor, Marvin reviewed investigations, evaluated evidence, presented cases to grand juries, and litigated criminal matters. As a defense attorney, he has examined evidence and investigative procedures from another perspective, evaluated constitutional issues, and considered whether the government can meet its burden of proof.

Marvin believes that experience has prepared him to make informed, fair, and responsible decisions as Hinds County District Attorney.  Those experiences have shaped Marvin’s belief that behind every criminal case are people, families, and communities. He believes a District Attorney must understand both the responsibility to protect the public and the tremendous impact the decisions of that office can have on families.

ROOTED IN FAMILY

Long before Marvin became an attorney or prosecutor, he was a grandson growing up in Leland, Mississippi, learning the importance of hard work, responsibility, family, and service.

Raised primarily by his grandmother, Marvin spent much of his childhood working alongside her in the upholstery shop she owned—and still operates today at 91 years old. She also took young Marvin with her as she canvassed for candidates and registered voters throughout the Mississippi Delta. Through her example, he learned that service means showing up and working to make your community better.

Marvin later moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he completed high school at Air Force Academy High School before following his aunt’s example of military service and joining the United States Air Force.

Family remains at the center of Marvin’s life. He and his wife, Gayla, are the parents of three children. Their daughter, an Alcorn State University graduate, works in social advocacy. Their oldest son attends Tougaloo College, where he is a college athlete with aspirations of attending law school. Their youngest son attends the Jackson Public School District and is an avid soccer player.

SERVICE THAT STARTS AT HOME

For Marvin, community service means finding a place where you can be useful, showing up, and doing the work.

Much of his service has focused on children and young people. Having benefited from adults who encouraged him and exposed him to opportunities beyond his circumstances, Marvin has tried to provide that same encouragement to the next generation.

He has volunteer with various programs to speak to and mentor at-risk youth, supported students participating in mock trial, served through his children’s PTA, and volunteered as a youth soccer coach. Today, he serves as Booster Club President for the Mustang Soccer Booster Club, a club whose mission is to provide support to the soccer teams at Murrah High School.

Marvin believes children need adults who are willing to invest their time, set expectations, provide encouragement, and help them see possibilities for their future.

MORE THAN A TITLE. A MOVEMENT FOR HINDS COUNTY

Marvin knows firsthand that a child’s circumstances do not have to determine that child’s future. The grandson who worked in his grandmother’s upholstery shop in Leland went on to become an Air Force veteran, attorney, prosecutor, defense attorney, and public servant.

That journey shapes his vision for the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office.

Marvin believes strong prosecution and accountability are essential to public safety. But he also understands that safer communities are not built in courtrooms alone. They are built in homes, schools, churches, athletic programs, and neighborhoods where young people are given guidance, expectations, opportunities, and hope.

As District Attorney, Marvin would bring more than courtroom experience to the office. He would bring the perspective of an experienced prosecutor, defense attorney, administrator, veteran, husband, father, and community servant.

He believes the District Attorney must be a strong prosecutor, an effective administrator, and a visible partner in the community.

For Marvin, accountability, public safety, fairness, community, and investing in the next generation are connected. His philosophy of service remains grounded in a lesson he learned from his grandmother many years ago in the Mississippi Delta:

Service is not simply something you talk about. It is something you do.