Candidate for
District Attorney; Westchester County

Janet DiFiore for District Attorney 2009

http://www.JanetDiFiore.com

Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore has dedicated her career to public service as both a Judge and prosecutor in Westchester County. DA DiFiore served for more than ten years as an Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County, the last four and one half years as Chief of Narcotics, coordinating drug enforcement and prosecution efforts within Westchester County on behalf of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

As a judge for six years, DA DiFiore was hard working and innovative. As a Family Court Judge, DA DiFiore presided in the County's first Juvenile Delinquency Part. As a County Court Judge, DA DiFiore presided in Drug Treatment Court, the Integrated Domestic Violence Court and the Superior Court Information Part. In the Supreme Court, DA DiFiore served as Supervising Judge of all the criminal courts in Westchester and four surrounding counties. She resigned from the bench in 2005 to run successfully for District Attorney of Westchester County.

In numerous positions, DA DiFiore has worked to promote the fair administration of justice, including as a member of former Chief Judge Judith Kaye's Commission on the Future of Criminal Indigent Defense Services, as the Coordinator for Access to Justice Initiatives for the 9th Judicial District, as a member of the Office of Court Administration's Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions, and on the Westchester County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, the Westchester County Domestic Violence Council, the Advisory Board of the Westchester Holocaust Commission's Juvenile Offender Program, the Task Force on the Future of Probation in the State of New York, and former Chief Judge Kaye's Commission on Drugs and the Courts. DA DiFiore frequently lectures in New York and abroad, at her own expense, to judges and lawyers on domestic violence, the effects of domestic violence on children, ethics, problem solving courts and effective case management techniques.

DiFiore began her term as District Attorney on January 1, 2006, committed to three important goals -- promoting public safety, ensuring fairness in criminal prosecutions, and upholding the highest standard of prosecutorial integrity.

Among her important initiatives as Westchester District Attorney are:

Innocence and Wrongful Conviction:

DA DiFiore is a recognized leader in this important area, recently appointed by Chief Judge Lippman of the Court of Appeals to co-chair the Justice Task Force, a new permanent task force to examine all aspects of wrongful convictions in a broad range of cases, collect data on a continuing basis, make recommendations for change, and monitor the impact of the recommended changes. In 2006, DA DiFiore ordered the retesting of DNA evidence that led to the exoneration of a man who served 17 years in prison for a murder he did not commit and to the identification and conviction of the actual murderer. Not satisfied with her role in exonerating this innocent man, DA DiFiore took the unprecedented step of convening a panel of experienced criminal lawyers and judges to conduct an independent inquiry into how the performance of the police, prosecutors, the court and defense counsel in this case could be improved to prevent similar injustices. DA DiFiore serves on the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Wrongful Conviction, convened to examine the systemic, procedural and statutory causes that contribute to wrongful convictions. She also established the Second Look Project, a review by the Westchester County DA's Office of all murder convictions prior to 2000, to determine whether DNA technology available today can be of meaningful assistance in the case, as well as a review process for sexual assault convictions in which DNA testing was unavailable and evidence was not examined, and for cases in which there is a claim of innocence at the post-conviction stage.

Westchester Intelligence Center:

In response to the longstanding critical need for shared crime data, intelligence and analysis among Westchester's 43 local police departments and county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, DA DiFiore led the development of the Westchester Intelligence Center. The Intelligence Center provides the technology and expertise to analyze crime patterns and identify and locate offenders. The availability of a central resource with advanced capabilities such as satellite imaging, mapping, collecting and mining of data, and tracking ballistic reports has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of Westchester's law enforcement agencies.

Child Fatality Review Team, Multidisciplinary Team and Child Advocacy Center:

DA DiFiore undertook these initiatives, in cooperation with partners from County and local government and child advocacy agencies, to ensure systematic analysis of child fatalities and risks to children's health and safety, to investigate cases of child abuse through multi-disciplinary teams to achieve the most effective and compassionate results, and to elevate the level of protective services for children in our communities. The Child Advocacy Center has been recognized as one of only eight New York Centers of Excellence by the Child Abuse Medical Providers program.

Domestic Violence:

DA DiFiore restructured the Domestic Violence Bureau designating Assistant District Attorneys for each jurisdiction in the County to coordinate the prosecution of domestic violence cases from beginning to end. This initiative facilitates early personal contact with victims by the Domestic Violence Bureau, and meaningful information for the courts on issues such as conditions of bail and orders of protection. DA DiFiore initiated a collaboration with Domestic Violence Legal Partners, a group of agencies that provide civil legal services, shelter and other assistance to victims. As a Judge, DA DiFiore worked to open the Integrated Domestic Violence Court in Yonkers, following the successful Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Court in White Plains. Recognizing the problem of violence in teen dating relationships, DA DiFiore worked with the courts to create the Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Court in Yonkers, where specially trained prosecutors and staff work to intervene in a manner appropriate for these young offenders and to break the cycle of violence and recidivism. The Westchester Intelligence Center is developing a database of Domestic Incident Reports from all Westchester jurisdictions in an initiative by DA DiFiore designed to provide police with information on background and patterns of behavior that can be critical in protecting victims of domestic violence and stalking. Violent Crime: DA DiFiore established the Violent Felony Screening Protocol, a system of early review of violent felony cases by a Deputy Division Chief to assess the legal and factual issues and seek to enhance the prosecution of such cases. This process also identifies complex cases that are best handled by so-called vertical prosecution, with one prosecutor assigned to a case from start to finish. The Protocol complements the DA's emphasis on the categories of violent crimes that are vertically prosecuted; homicides, sexual assaults, arsons, bias crimes, domestic violence cases and crimes against children and the elderly are vertically prosecuted. Aggressive prosecution of violent crimes is enhanced not only by the Intelligence Center, but by related initiatives of DA DiFiore: weekly meetings of Field Information Officers from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence; monthly CountyStat meetings of the heads of these agencies with the DA to discuss trends and strategies; and CompStat meetings within the District Attorney's Office to conduct periodic reviews of each Division's work to ensure that resources are deployed in the most effective way possible. These strategies have paid off well for the people of Westchester County: according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, our Superior Court conviction rates for each year that DA DiFiore has served as District Attorney have been among the highest in the state, particularly for violent felony convictions.

Integrated Youth Court:

This new court, developed by the court system in partnership with DA DiFiore, assists young people who have both Criminal and Family Court cases by making available services formerly available only in Family Court. This innovation better equips these young people to get their lives back on track after making a poor choice.

Treating Addicted Offenders:

DA DiFiore has consistently supported treatment for non-violent drug addicted offenders, first as Chief of Narcotics in the District Attorney's Office, then as a Judge, as a Member of the Commission on Drugs and the Courts and the presiding judge in Drug Treatment Court, and now as District Attorney. She has committed the District Attorney's Office to full participation in the drug treatment approaches available in Westchester's courts: Drug Courts in local courts in several jurisdictions, and the Road to Recovery Program in County Court. DA DiFiore was an important voice in support of reforming the harsh sentencing provisions of the Rockefeller-era drug laws, distinguishing between addicts and those who peddle drugs in our communities.

Prisoner Reentry:

As Chair of the Westchester County Reentry Task Force, DA DiFiore leads the team of government and not-for-profit agencies that assist men and women returning to Westchester County from state prison. The Task Force links these individuals to needed services for addiction, mental health, education and job training, assisting them to rejoin the community. DA DiFiore is committed to reentry not only because it is the right thing to do, but because this assistance will help these men and women to avoid committing new crimes that victimize others in the community.

Training and Education:

Recognizing that a high level of training is essential for every law enforcement agency in Westchester, DA DiFiore created the Training and Educational Bureau to provide professional training on a wide range of legal topics for the District Attorney's Office and other prosecutors' offices, and for other law enforcement agencies.

Community Outreach:

DA DiFiore has expanded the outreach of the District Attorney's Office to include a broader, proactive process of addressing the forces that drive crime in our communities. She has enhanced the District Attorney's Office presence in our schools, our senior centers and our religious institutions and developed partnerships with County and not-for-profit agencies to educate the public on crime prevention in areas including drug use and underage drinking, internet safety, identity theft, cruelty to animals, bullying prevention and bias crime.

Fiscal Responsibility:

While other District Attorneys' offices around the country are cutting prosecutorial and victim services, DA DiFiore is doing more with less. She has consistently delivered these important justice and public safety services in Westchester County in a fiscally prudent, financially responsible way, returning an average of more than $1.2 million taxpayer dollars to the County each year that she has been in office.

Personal:

DA DiFiore is a lifelong resident of Westchester County. She is married to Dennis E. Glazer, a partner in the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. They live in Westchester County with their three children.

Service in Leadership and Board Positions: DA DiFiore has served effectively on boards and in leadership positions of numerous professional, criminal justice, educational and civic organizations, including:

Chief Judge Lippman's Justice Task Force (examining wrongful convictions)

New York State Bar Association Task Force on Wrongful Convictions

The Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center of Westchester, Advisory Board and Juvenile Anti-Bias Program

New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group

Westchester County Court House Children's Center + YWCA, Advisory Board

New York State Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Board

Pace University School of Law Board of Visitors

Mercy College, Board of Advisors

Westchester Children's Museum, Board of Directors

Westchester Women's Bar Association, Co-chair of Grievance/Ethics Committee

Columbian Lawyers Association of Westchester County, Board of Directors

Westchester Italian Cultural Center, Board of Trustees

District Attorneys' Association of New York State, 3rd Vice President

Westchester County Criminal Justice Advisory Board

Westchester County Domestic Violence Council

CLUSTER/Restorative Justice Advisory Board

Chief Judge Kaye's Commission on the Future of Indigent Defense Services

New York State Unified Court System's Coordinator for Access to Justice Initiatives for the 9th Judicial District

Task Force on the Future of Probation

Chief Judge Kaye's Commission on Drugs and the Courts

Recognition: Among the community organizations that have recently honored DA DiFiore are:

• Yonkers NAACP, Women in Government Award

• Mt. Vernon YMCA, Civic Leadership Award (2008)

• Columbian Lawyers, First Department, Rapallo Award

• Pace Law School's Public Interest Law Students Organization, Lifetime Achievement Award

• Yeshiva Ohr Hameir, Public Service Award

• Westchester-Rockland Guardians, Achievement Award

• Salvation Army, Greater New York Division: Public Service Award

• Institutes of Applied Human Dynamics, Community Recognition Award

• WestCOP, Government Award

• Maxwell Institute, Humanitarian Award

• White Plains Columbus Day, Grand Marshal