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A Message from the District Attorney...
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
As the end of the year approaches, we are offered a chance to reflect on all that we accomplished over the past 12 months, and on those goals we will continue to strive toward in the coming year.
The first year of my administration was filled with a lot of hard-won progress that, I am proud to say, moved the ball forward on public safety.
Perhaps most significantly, we helped lead the charge, arm-in-arm with Gov. Hochul, to rein in New York's criminal discovery statutes that had been greatly expanded in 2020. Between 2019 and 2024, case dismissal rates in Westchester nearly doubled, owing in large part to this expansion. But the improvements we secured earlier this year will ensure that meritorious cases are no longer being thrown out on mere technicalities. This is a major win for all of us in Westchester, and across New York State.
Upon taking office, one of the first changes I made as District Attorney was to revert the Trials & Investigations Division back into two separate divisions, ensuring each component has the resources and manpower needed to do their jobs. Streamlining these functions has helped the new Trial Division achieve results in complicated cases.
For instance, we obtained a substantial conviction for felony murder against Hasseem Jenkins last month. Jenkins murdered Westchester County social worker Maria Coto in May 2024, all because she knocked on the wrong door during a home visit. We also negotiated a sentence of up to life in prison for the man who murdered 15-year-old Michael Raimondi and shot Michael's mother and little brother. The Raimondis have suffered a tragedy beyond imagination for most of us in Westchester, and this negotiated disposition will spare them the trauma of reliving this tragedy on the witness stand, while keeping Michael’s killer behind bars.
Our office has had success across the board in holding a wide range of violent offenders to account, including a guilty plea and prison sentence for the man who slashed a Jewish barber in a brazen, antisemitic assault; and an indictment against the Mount Vernon youth basketball coach accused of sexually abusing a child. These cases exemplify two of the issues we have made top priorities this year: Confronting antisemitic hate amid a surge in antisemitism nationwide, and all religious-based hate for that matter, and implementing a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse and exploitation of children.
Our community efforts were also out in full force this year. We delivered over 220 presentations to dozens of school districts, group homes, police departments, religious organizations and other community institutions from Mount Vernon to Yorktown. These presentations, organized by our Community Affairs office, aimed to help the community develop a proactive approach toward combatting crime. Through public education, we can help vulnerable members of our community recognize common schemes and scams, avoid predatory conduct, report abusive behavior and take back control of their digital lives.
I can say with confidence that our achievements this year have helped lay the groundwork for new progress in the years to come. I am proud of the work we accomplished together.
I won't mince words, though. We also faced significant headwinds that we will have to confront in the new year. Chief among them are unprecedented budget cuts that were forced upon our office this year. Critical funding streams bearing upon our public safety initiatives have been cut back. Despite this, I promise that we will continue to do the work we are legally and morally bound to do, without question.
Over the next few weeks, I hope you can spend time with your loved ones and reflect on what is most meaningful in your lives. I know that I am humbled and honored to represent you every day in this office. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.
On behalf of the office, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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