A graduate of Dublin High School's class of 1973, Harold McLendon has dedicated his career to the communities he now serves as District Attorney. Recognizing that a fair and ethical prosecution is not merely a legal requirement but is the bedrock upon which public trust in the criminal justice system rests, McLendon leads his team with a depth of criminal justice knowledge and experience rarely encountered.  He has worked on both sides of the court room, as a prosecutor and defender.  He has served from the bench as an associate juvenile judge and a municipal court judge. Before he entered the practice of law in 1984, he supervised probationers and parolees. His background has equipped him to navigate the many challenges and ethical considerations inherent in every prosecution, to discern the delicate balance between advocacy and fairness.  He will allocate resources commiserate with the threat to community safety each case presents, targeting repeat felony offenders, serious violent felonies and crimes against vulnerable populations.  Victims of crime will be appropriately supported, emotionally and procedurally, through the service of a dedicated victim advocate. For low-risk crimes and offenders, he will dedicate resources to the pursuit of alternative resolutions through active engagement of the Accountability Courts (Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans' Court) and operation of the DA's Office P.I.E.R.S. Program, a pretrial diversion option for qualified offenders.  These efforts will preserve the employability of individuals charged with a felony by keeping their criminal history clear of a felony conviction and by connecting each person with opportunities for vocational growth in pursuit of a lawful means of self-sufficiency.   ​In matters of criminal justice, DA McLendon knows what works and what does not, and more importantly, he knows how to ensure criminal justice works for everyone.