Terence Hallinan

Terence Hallinan (born December 4, 1936) is an American politician from San Francisco, California. He is the second of six sons born to leftist attorney Vincent Hallinan and his wife Vivian.

Hallinan was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, London School of Economics, and Hastings College of the Law. He was somewhat rash and disobedient as a youth, which delayed his admission to the bar. He successfully contested the State Bar's evaluation of his character in the Supreme Court of California. He served on the San Francisco City and County Board of Supervisors, and later was the district attorney of San Francisco. While serving as DA, he became a notable opponent of capital punishment. He also had one of the lowest conviction rates in the history of San Francisco.