Being raised in Kaufman County by two public-educator parents who modeled a life of community involvement and serving others, Erleigh Norville Wiley knew from an early age that she wanted to use her talents and resources to invest in the people around her as well. “I always had a desire to help,” the Kaufman High School graduate recalls. “My parents believed strongly in giving back, and they instilled that in my brothers and me.”
Following high school, Erleigh attended Texas Tech University, College of Business Administration, and received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree-Finance. She then furthered her education at the University of Texas in Austin where she earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence. From that point on, Wiley began serving in different roles searching for her niche. Beginning her career as a corporate attorney for an oil and gas company, she followed the recommendation of a friend and applied for a position at the District Attorney’s office in Dallas. She was hired on in 1990 and knew immediately that she had found her calling, a place that she could use her skills and knowledge to protect innocent children and victims. “When I got that job, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” she says. “I was going to be a prosecutor and help people.”
As time passed, Erleigh Wiley passionately pursued justice for children and victims through her work in child abuse, child welfare, and juvenile justice cases in her capacity with the District Attorney’s office in Dallas. Eventually she expanded that impact when she moved back to Kaufman County and was elected as Judge of Kaufman County Court at Law. For the next ten years, Judge Wiley tried hundreds of cases and also created the first Alternative Treatment Court Diversion program in Kaufman County.
In 2013, Kaufman County suffered the shocking loss of the Criminal District Attorney of Kaufman County at the time, Mike McLelland. In the aftermath of McLelland’s tragic death, Governor Rick Perry appointed Judge Erleigh Norville Wiley to fill his unexpired term and lead an office that was grieving and shocked. Wiley then went on to retain that seat in the 2014 election and has now been the Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney for more than eight years.
With currently the highest case load her office has seen, which has come largely as a result of the staggering growth in the county, Wiley says that coupling her office’s very specialized knowledge with the strong law enforcement community in Kaufman County has allowed for a multitude of successful cases during her time in office. “We are a conservative county,” she reminds her constituents. “When someone commits a serious crime in Kaufman County, there are serious consequences.”
When asked what her goal is in regard to serving in her elected position, her answer is simple: “I want to continue to improve Kaufman County and meet the growth. And I want to keep Kaufman County as a place where you can be safe and raise your kids.”
True to this primary objective of helping others, Erleigh continues to live and serve in her home county, along with her husband Aaron, in various volunteer capacities. In addition to her position as Criminal District Attorney, Wiley works with the Kaufman County Juvenile Board, Texas Health Resources of Kaufman, Kaufman County Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Norville Center, a children’s shelter in Kaufman County.
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