Board appoints Dana Crone to fill unexpired Inyo County district attorney term

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors voted to appoint Dana Crone as district attorney to fill an unexpired term that expires Jan. 3, 2028.

Crone, who has served as acting district attorney since the retirement of Tom Hardy, told the board she has practiced law in Inyo County for nearly 30 years and said prosecutorial decision‑making should be guided by a commitment to “seek justice.” She described a caseload that ranges from misdemeanors to murder prosecutions and emphasized work on mental‑health related cases and competency proceedings.

The appointment followed a public interview during which supervisors asked Crone how she would prioritize cases with limited staff, how she approaches plea bargaining, and how she would manage conflicts of interest in a small county where many people know one another. Crone told the board she supports open lines of communication with law enforcement and said the office uses a redaction process for initial case reviews required by recent statewide rules to reduce bias in charging reviews. "The purpose and obligation of a prosecutor is to seek justice," she said.

Crone recounted prior work on juvenile dependency and delinquency matters and said she intends to maintain the county practice of having the elected district attorney handle juvenile cases. She described early intervention and family‑oriented approaches as central to juvenile work and said she would work closely with juvenile probation and local service providers.

On countywide issues Crone identified fentanyl and related drug‑driven crimes and a rise in mental‑health cases as major challenges to the local criminal justice system. She referenced recent state ballot changes (as cited in her remarks: "Prop 36" and changes to prior measures under "Prop 47") that she said add tools to pursue treatment and, if necessary, custody for repeat offenders.

After the interview, a motion to appoint Crone passed by voice vote. The board then administered the appointment; Crone said she was "truly honored" and noted she would be the first female district attorney in Inyo County.

The board did not specify any binding conditions attached to the appointment during the meeting. Crone and supervisors discussed that if staffing shortages ever required it she would return to the board to request additional resources.

The board opened and closed the public comment period for this item; one member of the public asked a courtroom‑procedure question during the comment period and was answered by Crone.

Crone's appointment takes immediate effect; the board recorded the appointment by motion and vote during the meeting.