Meet your next District Attorney,

Landon Campbell

Landon is the product of a Texas Dream

Landon grew up as the child of a single mom who came to Texas to make a better life as a public-school teacher. Originally born in south Mississippi, Landon moved to Texas at an early age and grew up in a single-wide mobile home, apartments, and even a 'bumper-pull' RV. Eventually, through years of dedication and hard work, he and his mom settled down in a house of their own in Katy, Texas. Landon attended Texas A&M University (gig 'em!) and graduated with highest honors at the age of 19. After A&M, Landon attended the University of Texas School of Law and graduated with honors and numerous trial-skill based honors including serving as the Chair of the Board of Advocates and membership in the Order of Barristers.

Now, Landon lives in Kyle, Texas, with his wonderful husband Adam, beautiful baby girl, Lilly, and two cats, Albie (Albus) and Trixie (Bellatrix). Adam is a CPA and works as a Partner for a tax firm in Austin. In his free time, Landon is an avid reader, a dedicated Dallas Cowboys fan, and a committed fan of Aggie football. In Adam's free time (which Landon considers his second job), they travel throughout the United States, attend Texas State football games, and look for what's new at Costco. Lilly usually spends her free time laughing and blowing bubbles, while Albie and Trixie mainly sleep and judge. It's a fun house.

An early start representing Hays County, which has led to statewide results

Landon's work for Hays County began before he left law school. Before he had graduated law school, Landon was already representing Hays County as a student attorney within the DA's Office. While some lawyers wait years before making their first case to members of the community, Landon secured his first Guilty verdict in a Driving While Intoxicated case while he was still in his second year at UT Law (sidenote: that Guilty verdict came against the current District Attorney, then-defense attorney, Kelly Higgins!).

Landon later utilized his unique experience to develop a holistic legal clerkship program that has created a pipeline of young lawyers from some of our State's most renowned law schools. Because of this program, amazing future Hays County prosecutors are turning away from former 'destination offices' like Harris and Dallas and are instead heading to Hays!

Overall, Landon has spent nearly eight years working in every division of the Criminal District Attorney's Office. That's why he is uniquely situated to deal with anything that a normal day might throw at an elected prosecutor. From JP Court to District Court to the Commissioner's Court, Landon has the real experience to get real results for his neighbors in Hays County!

Landon's experience transcends multiple areas of law. In addition to his prosecution work, Landon has worked as a staff attorney for two judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (both of whom will no longer be on the high Court because they were willing to stand up to lawlessness by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton). In this role, he 'graded the papers' of judges and attorneys across the State. Further, he has worked in Hays County courtrooms as part of the Misdemeanor, Felony, Civil, and Juvenile Divisions of the DA's Office. Because of his experience, Landon has trained other prosecutors and professionals throughout the State through the Texas District and County Attorney's Association and Texas Behavioral Health and Justice Technical Assistance Center.

When Landon sees problems, he finds solutions. The life of a prosecutor in the 2020s is ever-changing depending on the unique challenges of the time and community. For instance, when the COVID-19 Pandemic created a massive procedural issue for Texas courts, Landon created a videoconference form and procedure that allowed the Courts to proceed virtually, which was picked up statewide. When frivolous questions surrounding the 2020 election caused a deep mistrust of election officials, Landon worked with the Hays County Sheriff's Office and Elections Department to create an Election Integrity Taskforce to provide confidence in local elections. This Taskforce became an example for counties statewide. And when immigration consequences began creating disparate results for similarly situated diverted criminal defendants, Landon worked to create new procedures to attempt to avoid the unfair results.

Landon's passion for diversion and innovation started early and continues strong

While working a normal criminal caseload, Landon volunteered time toward burgeoning diversion programs. In addition to his work in misdemeanor and felony dockets, Landon worked as the Veteran's Treatment Court Prosecutor and was a founding member of the Hays County Mental Health Court. Landon recognized the huge need for dedicated public servants to engage in real change within the criminal justice system and acted!

Once Kelly Higgins was elected in 2022, Landon worked ceaselessly to expand diversion options both inside and outside the courts. For instance, Landon worked to implement a new Pretrial Diversion system within the DA's Office, a new DWI Pretrial Intervention program with the Hays County Probation Department, and a new Assisted Outpatient Treatment Court with Judge Elaine Brown. In addition, Landon worked with Judges Maggie Moreno and Sandra Bryant to create Hays County's first Youth Diversion Program for our Justice Courts. These efforts eventually led to Landon's appointment as Chief of a new Specialty Courts division within the District Attorney's Office. He now is working with Judge Jimmy Alan Hall on Hays County's first DWI Court and Judge Alicia Key on a Drug Court!

Landon's work in Hays County extends beyond the DA's Office

In addition to his work in the DA's Office, Landon has served on numerous community boards. Spurred by his passion for mental health, Landon joined the Board of Directors of the Scheib Center, the primary mental health and developmental services provider in San Marcos, and eventually served as Chair of the Board. Landon also serves as a Director on the Hays County Bar Association Board, which works to promote camaraderie within the Hays County legal community. Finally, Landon serves on the Behavorial Advisory Team, a county-wide group dedicated to solving issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.