Ms. Jessica K. Rock

Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia

Jessica Rock is the State Animal Crimes Resource Prosecutor with the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council and a Special Assistant United States Attorney handling federal animal fighting cases in the Southern District of Georgia. She provides statewide animal cruelty and animal fighting case assistance for law enforcement and prosecutors.  She also provides statewide and national training to law enforcement, animal control officers, prosecutors, judges and veterinarians on a variety of topics including animal abuse and animal fighting cases from the crime scene to the courtroom and the link between human violence, organized crime and animal crimes.

Former Deputy Chief of the Special Victims Unit in DeKalb County, Jessica graduated with Honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. Jessica received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Emory University School of Law in 2003. After clerking for a superior court judge and the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, in 2004, she became Georgia’s first dedicated animal cruelty prosecutor, creating Georgia's first animal cruelty task force with law enforcement. As a former special victims prosecutor, Jessica has successfully prosecuted thousands of special victims cases involving homicide, RICO, gangs, domestic violence, elder abuse and child victim cases. Prior to training professionals on the link between human violence and animal crimes, she saw this undeniable link with many of the cases she prosecuted.   

In addition to her speaking engagements, she also works diligently drafting laws in Georgia on both the state and local levels. She is the past Chair of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and on the executive board of the National Coalition on Violence Against Animals. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program and an Affiliate Faculty member of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.