Calvin Dollarhide, 37, was born in Oxford, Mississippi, to Joseph and Clara Dollarhide. Joseph was an electrician, and Clara worked as a sales clerk on and off over the years, when she wasn't needed at home to care for Calvin and his two older sisters and younger brother.
Calvin was always the ringleader among his siblings, organizing their play activities with each other and with neighbor kids. He liked to win every game they played, and sometimes his older sisters would let him win simply to avoid the inevitable temper tantrum when he lost.
He was equally driven in school, always striving to get the highest grade on every assignment, though he didn't always succeed. He studied hard and took pride in maintaining one of the highest GPAs in his high school class.
His competitive nature made him a natural for sports, and he showed a particular talent for baseball. His teammates named him co-captain of the varsity team in his senior year and helped lead them to the State Championship.
His efforts got him a scholarship to the University of Mississippi. While Calvin never believed he was good enough to play professional baseball, he was happy to be able to continue playing in college and grateful for the financial assistance.
Calvin graduated from Ole Miss with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in African-American Studies. He entered law school the next fall and also worked as a law clerk at a local firm to get valuable experience and to help cover his expenses.
He earned a J.D. and a Criminal Law Certificate. He won a coveted position as a clerk for a Mississippi Circuit Court judge and went to work immediately after graduation.
Two years later, Calvin joined the Yoknapatawpha County District Attorney's Office and has gradually moved up the ranks. Colleagues speculate that Calvin intends to run for office one day. However, opinions are divided on whether Calvin has his eye on his boss's job or is more interested in becoming Oxford's mayor.
Two years ago in July, he was assigned to prosecute Benito Flores for the murder of Philip Fontaine. Calvin was gratified to be chosen for such a high-profile case and eagerly dug into it with his usual intensity, not least because he knew it could be a career-maker if he got a guilty verdict.
