BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Baldwin County’s newly appointed chief assistant District Attorney first heard the word “lawyer” in sixth grade when teachers noted Hallie Dixon’s penchant for debate.

The word popped up again in high school when Dixon took a stand on history tests.

“I would debate answers to tests, and convince her about half the time that I was right,” Dixon said. “She told me I should go to law school.”

Dixon, 34, was born in Mobile and moved to Baldwin County at age 3. As a high school student, she worked as an exercise jockey for a race horse breeder in Central Baldwin, and continued her affiliation with the horse farm during breaks as a student at Berry College in Rome, Ga., where she majored in education.

“Half of my family are educators and I respect what they do,” Dixon said. “I have always been interested in helping people and understanding the human dynamic.

“I believe we all have obligations to the world. You don’t have to do great things to make a difference. You can do it in everyday life.”

Dixon later changed her major to psychology and finished an undergraduate degree at the University of South Alabama while continuing to exercise horses and working odd jobs to pay bills.

“I worked in a restaurant part time and started at the bottom as a busboy, then hostess, then waitress,” she said. “Then I decided to become a lawyer. You can fight for what you believe in on either side (defense or prosecutorial).”

The University of Alabama granted her a law degree in 1998 and she began working for a general-practice attorney in Mobile where she was exposed to criminal defense, domestic relations, juvenile and civil cases and wills and estates.

After a brief stint at a Daphne law firm, she went solo in 2001, specializing in domestic relations, family law and criminal defense, she said.

Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb tapped her in December to become second in command of prosecution.

Dixon supervises all staff lawyers, is assisting in revamping a flow chart to deal with increasing cases for grand jury review and serves as the county’s major felony prosecutor for cases ranging from theft to capital murder.

“Hallie is a perfectionist and she will stay and work on a case until every “I” is dotted and “T” is crossed,” Newcomb said. “She loves the law and seeks justice in all she does. She has great compassion for people and puts that into her work.”

Newcomb also cited Dixon’s “patience” with new lawyers and her assistance in helping them learn the ropes.

“She also is a great trial lawyer,” Newcomb added.

As a criminal defense attorney, Dixon said she “fought like the dickens” in court, but went “right to sleep” if her client was found guilty and she felt she had done her best.

“I wanted to do the best I could professionally for the client and I wanted the client’s family to know I did my best,” Dixon said. “One of the best facets of being a defense attorney is knowing your client is innocent and getting acquittal. But that doesn’t happen often.

“No matter who the client was, it was important to me to be able to help the family. Somebody loves that defendant. It is rewarding to treat the defendant with respect and help the families understand what is going on.”

As a prosecutor, Dixon said the stakes are higher.

“If you don’t win, it’s not that a guilty person goes free, but the victim doesn’t get justice. If you don’t win, justice is not served.

“I tell young prosecutors that defendants are human beings, but so are the victims. The victims didn’t do anything to bring them here. There must be consequences for breaking the law.

“‘Let the right thing happen’ is a common prayer for every lawyer. Only God knows and you have to trust Him to make sure the right thing happens.”