Former Kingfisher and Canadian county prosecutor Eric Epplin will return to District 4 Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Epplin will be serving as incoming District Attorney Tommy Humphries’ first assistant DA, Humphries announced last week.

“I am excited to return home to District 4,” Epplin said. “Tommy Humphries is going to be an outstanding district attorney and I am honored that he has invited me back.”

Epplin served as managing attorney in the Kingfi sher County District Attorney’s Office from 201417 and then held the same position in the Canadian County office before being promoted to first assistant over the five-county district by outgoing DA Mike Fields.

“I look forward to Eric’s return to District 4,” Humphries said. “He is an outstanding prosecutor with a true passion for serving the public.”

Epplin, who started his legal career in the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, has worked for the last two years as assistant executive coordinator of the District Attorneys Council, the state agency which provides training and support for Oklahoma’s 27 prosecutorial districts.

“At the District Attorneys Council, I had a front row seat at our statewide training events for Oklahoma’s prosecutors,” Epplin said.

“I look forward to bringing that knowledge and experience to District 4 to ensure our prosecutors continue to be innovative and effective.”

Humphries currently serves as first assistant DA for District 4, which also includes Garfield, Grant and Blaine counties.

Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Humphries to succeed Fields for the final three years of his most recent term of office and he steps into his new role as the district’s top prosecutor on Tuesday.