What happened: Midland County District Attorney Glenn Harwood recently appeared on The Krista Escamilla Show and covered everything from prosecutor staffing shortages to how cases move through the court system and how his office has changed during his first year in office.

Why it matters: The district attorney’s office plays a central role in public safety. In Midland County, prosecutors handle thousands of cases each year, ranging from misdemeanors to serious felony charges. Harwood said the District Attorney’s Office disposed of 8,500 cases in 2025.

“I’m proud to be the district attorney every single day,” Harwood told Escamilla. “I do not take it lightly that the people have entrusted me with this. I’m honored. I want to serve them well.”

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The big picture: Harwood said one of his priorities after taking office was rebuilding the district attorney’s staff. The office was budgeted for 25 attorneys, but was down to nine attorneys shortly after he arrived. Since then, he said the office has hired 18 prosecutors and begun building a recruitment pipeline with Texas law schools.

Harwood said he has personally traveled to campuses including Texas Tech, SMU, St. Mary’s, and Texas A&M to interview and recruit young attorneys. He added that many prosecutors take pay cuts to work in his office.

“Almost every attorney I’ve hired has taken a pay cut to come and work in Midland County because they’re public servants,” Harwood said. “Because they believe in what we’re doing.”

Go deeper: Harwood told Escamilla that one of his guiding principles is prioritizing accuracy over speed when handling criminal cases.

“In the justice system, you only get one [thing], and quality is the only thing I care about if it takes longer to get it and if it costs more in investment in investigations and process,” he said. “I want to work with due haste, but I can’t let externalities rush me.”

He said that sometimes frustrates those who want faster decisions, but prosecutors must balance the expectations of law enforcement, victims, defense attorneys, and the public.

“Sometimes law enforcement’s upset with our office. Sometimes, victims are upset with our office. A lot of times, defense attorneys are upset with our office. A lot of times, the public’s upset with our office.” Harwood said. “We’re not going to do ready, shoot, aim. We’re going to be deliberate.”

What’s next: Hear more about Harwood’s military background, outlook on leadership, and his view on second chances by watching the full interview on The Krista Escamilla Show.