About the Office

Divisions

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is organized into four divisions. Those divisions include:

  • Appeals and Special Litigations Division
  • Local Criminal Courts and Training Division
  • Special Prosecutions Division
  • Trials and Investigations Division

Appeals and Special Litigations Division
The Appeals and Special Litigation Division handles the appeals process for criminal convictions and other post-conviction litigation in both state and federal court. Appeals are litigated in the Appellate Term, Appellate Division, and the New York State Court of Appeals. FOIL Requests and post-conviction motions, among other things, are also handled by the Division.

Local Criminal Courts and Training Division
The Local Courts Division includes the Greenburgh Branch, Mount Vernon Bureau, New Rochelle Branch, Northern Westchester Branch, Rye Branch, White Plains Branch, Yonkers Bureau and Yorktown Branch. The Division prosecutes the bulk of the over 20,000 criminal cases originating in the city, town and village courts of Westchester County. The local branch offices enable the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office to work closely with local law enforcement and be present in the communities where prosecutorial services are being provided.

Special Prosecutions Division
The Special Prosecutions Division (SPD) investigates and prosecutes cases of domestic violence, child and elder abuse, human trafficking, and sex crimes. This includes cases of sexual assault of a victim who is a child, intimate partner or relative of the defendant, and adult-stranger sexual assaults. The Division is comprised of the Domestic Violence Bureau, the Child and Elder Abuse Bureau, Sex Crimes Bureau, and the Victims’ Justice Center, which helps our ADAs support victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, including human trafficking, child abuse and elder abuse. Child abuse cases involve victims under the age of 16 and elder abuse cases are focused on seniors 60 years of age or older who have been physically victimized or harmed. Specially trained staff are on-site in the Office to assist and support victims including domestic violence aides, a trauma therapist and child welfare professionals. Bilingual assistance is also available.

If you believe you were the victim or witness of elder abuse, have any questions or need additional information, you can contact us via our tips line at (914) 995-TIPS (914-995-8477) and press 1 for Elder Abuse, or you can fill out our online complaint form.

Trials and Investigations Division
The Trials and Investigations Division oversees both proactive investigations and reactive prosecutions via indictment or Superior Court Information. The Division employs advanced investigative resources and technologies to handle all felony matters in Westchester County. The Division is comprised of the following Bureaus: Cold Case, Cybercrimes, Economic Crimes, Felony General Crimes, Homicide, Major Case, Pleadings and Diversion, Vehicular Crimes, and Violent Criminal Enterprise. The Division also houses the Public Integrity Bureau and newly created Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau, which report directly to the District Attorney. Specialized coordinators also exist within many of the Bureaus, including coordinators for Animal Cruelty, Auto Crimes, Hate Crimes, Identity Theft, Internet Safety, and Labor and Wage Theft. The Crime Strategies Center assists with investigations within the Division.

 

About the DA's Office

Keeping Westchester Safe.
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is led by District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah, who was elected in November 2020

The Office staffs more than 120 Assistant District Attorneys, 34 investigators, and about 90 support personnel at the main office located at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains and across the seven local court branch offices throughout Westchester County - Greenburgh, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Northern Westchester, Rye, White Plains, and Yonkers.

Working with 41 local police departments, the Westchester Department of Public Safety, New York State Police and other state and federal agencies, the District Attorney’s Office investigates and prosecutes nearly 20,000 criminal cases a year while also providing valuable resources and assistance to victims of crime. The Office also does year-round outreach to schools, local law enforcement, community organizations and advocacy groups to improve public safety for Westchester County’s population of more than 1 million residents.

Development and Training
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office provides specialized training for new Assistant District Attorneys and coordinates education and outreach programs with law enforcement, schools and community groups on a variety of public safety topics.

Enhanced Training Program for our Newest Prosecutors
New Assistant District Attorneys participate in an enhanced training program that establishes a strong foundation for their essential role in our Office. The six-week training includes: (1) an orientation with each division and bureaus, familiarizing them with the Office’s work and structure; (2) a series of lectures and interactive workshops that cover our local criminal court practice, drafting accusatory instruments, plea parameters and sentencing, suppression issues, hearings and trial technique, and ethical obligations; and (3) shadowing and observing colleagues in the local criminal and specialty courts. After the initial training phase, junior ADAs are assigned to one of our eight local court branch offices where, under the supervision of a Branch Chief, they inherit their own case load, draft motion responses,participate in court proceedings, and attend ongoing lectures and continued education throughout their tenure in the Office.

Law Enforcement Training
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office holds training sessions for law enforcement agencies—local police departments, police recruits and police supervisors. These sessions are held at the Westchester County Police Academy in Valhalla, or at respective police departments.

About the Office

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