Inyo County board appoints Dana Crone to finish district attorney term

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors voted on Jan. 14 to appoint Dana Crone as district attorney to fill an unexpired term that expires Jan. 3, 2028. The board opened the item by noting the personnel office had received a single letter of interest and invited Crone to speak and answer questions before taking a vote.

Crone, who identified herself as the acting district attorney, outlined roughly three decades of legal work in the county, saying she has handled a range of cases "from simple misdemeanors to a murder case" and has particular experience in juvenile dependency, conservatorships and mental-health matters. "I have lived in this community. This is my community," she said during her presentation.

Board members asked Crone about high-stakes litigation and her approach to plea bargaining, juvenile cases, conflict management in a small community and coordination with law enforcement. Crone said plea bargaining is a necessary tool to secure predictable outcomes and to connect defendants with treatment when appropriate; on juvenile matters she emphasized early intervention and collaboration with juvenile probation. She described a recent statewide change she said mandates race-blind initial charging reviews, explaining that identifying information is redacted during the first review to reduce bias.

After the question-and-answer period, a board member moved to appoint Crone to the unexpired term; the motion carried with no recorded opposition. Crone responded, "I am truly honored. I am humbled," and told the board she looks forward to continuing work with staff and the community.

Background and context: The vacancy arose after the retirement of Tom Hardy; county staff told the board the appointment would fill the remainder of the term and that the personnel office received one application (Crone's). Crone noted the office is seeing increased mental-health caseloads and the county's drug supply issues, and she said new state tools (discussed in the hearing as "Prop 36" changes and other legislative updates) give prosecutors additional options to combine treatment and accountability.

What happens next: The board's appointment fills the office through the term date announced by staff. The transcript records a voice vote in favor of the appointment; a ceremonial break followed the action.