Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was born in Carbondale, Illinois and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving to Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in History before receiving a law degree from SMU Law School in 1981. He joined the Dallas District Attorney’s office in 1982 where he worked for 6 years before fighting for the rights of his community at the Kaufman District Attorney’s Office.

Before moving to Kaufman, Mr. Hasse worked in the private practice of law in Dallas, focusing on aviation law, family law and criminal defense work before following his passion to serve the community. Above all else, Mr. Hasse worked to protect the victims of crimes and worked each day to make his community safe. In his spare time he enjoyed flying planes, earning his commercial pilots license in college. He served as the president of the Dallas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and had a huge heart to help all of God’s creatures. Mr. Hasse was known for adopting unadoptable stray dogs all his life. Those who knew him remembered his giving personality and ability to lift anyone’s spirit.

On Thursday January 31, 2013, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was on his way to work near the Kaufman County Courthouse when he was gunned down. He is survived by his loving mother, Patricia; brother, Paul; sister-in-law, Vicki; two stepbrothers, and several nieces and nephews.