COLONIE — Albany defense attorney Lee Kindlon officially announced his candidacy for Albany County district attorney on Thursday, blasting incumbent David Soares' conviction rate and "utter lack of leadership."

Kindlon, 35, of Delmar, the son of prominent defense attorney Terence L. Kindlon and a former military prosecutor in the Marines, hopes to unseat Soares in next year's Democratic party primary.

Kindlon formalized his plans, first reported by the Times Union in March, in an announcement at the Joseph E. Zaloga American Legion Post on Everett Road.

"I am here to tell you that there are better days ahead," Kindlon told supporters who included lawyers, veterans and at least three city lawmakers. "Better leadership. Better training. Better trials. Better results."

Kindlon told the crowd the balance between justice and compassion has been "lost" under the watch of Soares, who was elected in 2004 after upsetting incumbent Democrat Paul Clyne.

"The balance has been lost as a result of almost eight years of mismanagement in the district attorney's office," Kindlon said. "I have seen firsthand the effects of an office that is run by a prosecutor who has no trial experience. I have seen firsthand the effects of inflexible cookie-cutter justice."

Kindlon said despite Soares' promises on the campaign trail in 2004, he "continues to send many young nonviolent offenders — many of them of color — to prison." He said the conviction rate of Soares' office dropped below 80 percent when he took office and has never exceeded it since.

In 2009, the Times Union reported that the felony conviction rate in Albany County decreased every year between 2004 and 2008 — and the violent felony conviction percentage hit a five-year low in 2008.

Kindlon said the recent murder and kidnapping trial in Albany, which ended in a mistrial on the top charges, should have been a "slam dunk" for Soares' office. The case involved the 2010 disappearance of marijuana dealer Steven "Swag" Jackson, whose body has never been found.

Kindlon said the conviction rate has dropped despite the district attorney's office having more resources than ever before.

"Clearly and unfortunately," Kindlon said, "Mr. Soares is occupied with matters other than the day-to-day operations of his office. This negligence, combined with his reckless penchant for self-promotion, has cost taxpayers dearly."

Kathleen Campbell, the spokeswoman for Soares' campaign, declined to comment on Kindlon's announcement.

Kindlon's wife, Liz, and three young sons were in attendance. Also present were Common Council members Ronald Bailey, John Rosenzweig and Lester Freeman, attorneys Holly Trexler, Larry Rosen, Cheryl Coleman, Brian Farley, Joseph Meaney and former Albany County Stop-DWI coordinator Leonard Crouch.

The Albany native was admitted to the bar in 2002 after graduating from the University at Connecticut School of Law. Kindlon, whose father served in Vietnam, served with an infantry battalion in Fallujah, Iraq, from 2005 to 2006.

While a prosecutor in the Marine Corps, Kindlon noted, he "prosecuted everything from simple drug possessions to sexual assaults, petit larcenies to complex financial scams, bar room fights to murder cases."

Kindlon works at Kindlon Shanks and Associates, the downtown law firm his father founded with Laurie Shanks, his father's wife.

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Kindlon also said integrity needed to be restored to the office he seeks.

"I am a progressive Democrat," he said, "and I anticipate a primary fight against my opponent. This will not be a fight over ideology. It will be about competence, integrity and independence."

Kindlon said he would allow the courts to decide how to handle protesters arrested at the Occupy Albany demonstrations, as opposed to Soares' decision not to prosecute them. He said Albany County prosecutors should not be concerned about cases in Orlando — a reference to the office's steroids case. Asked if he would continue to pursue the case, he said, "One way or another, that ship needs to be docked."

In July, the Times Union reported that campaign figures showed Kindlon holding a nearly 5-to-1 advantage in campaign funds over Soares. Kindlon had a war chest of $35,094, Soares $7,612, the latest campaign filings showed.

Reach Robert Gavin at 434-2403 or rgavin@timesunion.com.