PURPOSE: The following represents the procedure governing the submission of an application made by defense counsel on behalf of a charged defendant who seeks consideration of the defendant’s immigration status in connection with a plea offer that has been extended to them by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office (WCDAO).

PROCESS: Any application presented to the Immigration Committee (IC) for consideration must be submitted electronically to the attention of the IC Coordinator at IC@westchesterda.net no less than four (4) weeks prior to the first scheduled SCI Conference Date, or within the four (4) weeks immediately following the formal communication of a plea offer by a member of the WCDAO when there is no executed SCI Waiver.  The failure to timely submit such an application, or any parts thereof, shall result in the preclusion of that material which is not timely submitted from IC consideration.    

FORMAT: Each application submitted for IC consideration shall be comprised of a cover letter that summarizes the anticipated immigration status-related impact (ISI) upon the defendant, in conjunction with the authority upon which that anticipated ISI is based.

Each such application should be supported by all available mitigation material that may include, but is not limited to:

  • official documents and/or records that substantiate defense counsel’s proffered ISI upon the defendant,
  • unofficial written opinion concerning the defendant which is offered by an attorney or an advocacy group that provides immigration-related advice in a professional capacity,
  • information relating a disproportionate ISI upon the defendant that will result from a previously extended or anticipated plea offer, in conjunction with a proposed alternative disposition that will avoid such an ISI, and
  • personal information concerning the defendant that defense counsel believes to be related to the circumstances that gave rise to the charged crime(s) and which bear upon the perceived impact of a previously extended or anticipated plea offer by the WCDAO.

CONTACT: The members of the IC include ADAs Steve Bender, Anthony J. Molea, Shameika Mathurin, Shea Scanlon Lomma and Hazem Ennabi. CADA George Hlapatsos serves as the IC Coordinator and will address any questions or concerns that you may have regarding the foregoing when directed to his attention at IC@westchesterda.net.        

Beta version December 2024

The Westchester District Attorney’s Office Data Center has developed this online dashboard to provide the public information about the caseload, charging decisions, and other data related to prosecutions by the District Attorney’s Office. The goal is to expand additional data points in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Prosecution Intake 2017-2024
Prosecution Intake 2017-2024
Annual Sentence Violations 2017-2024
Annual Sentence Violations 2017-2024 (Violation of Probations, Violation of Conditional Discharge)
Annual UCR Intake 2017-2024
Annual Uniform Crime Reporting Intake 2017-2024

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is committed to assisting all victims of crime understand their rights and get assistance navigating the legal system regardless of their immigration status or proficiency in English.

Undocumented residents who may fear cooperation with law enforcement due to their immigration status are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. We provide educational outreach to immigrant communities to assist individuals avoid falling victim to theft, fraud and other acts targeted toward those seeking residency, citizenship or legal status.

The Office does year-round community outreach through education and advocacy on criminal schemes that target immigrants related to legal services, employment, wages and housing. Victims and witnesses are encouraged to report crimes without fear of immigration consequences.

Immigrant Bill of Rights
 The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring the protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.

The Office will ensure all community members, including non-citizens — regardless of their immigration status — are treated fairly and equally, and that, when possible, no one is unjustly impacted by the criminal legal system.

  • The Office will investigate and prosecute individuals or businesses that target and exploit immigrants through fraud, wage theft, or otherwise.
  • The Office encourages both documented and undocumented immigrant victims and witnesses to cooperate with law enforcement.
  • The Office will not let the immigration status of cooperating witnesses/victims prevent their participation in the criminal justice process.
  • The Office, when asked and where appropriate, will provide cooperating witnesses/victims with assistance in obtaining U-Visas

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office (WCDAO) is not responsible for issuing U-Visas and granting Immigration status. The WCDAO, however, can aid in the U-Visa process by reviewing certification requests of the Form I-918B for individuals who have been victims of certain crimes in Westchester County. To qualify for certification, the victim must be fully cooperative in the investigation or prosecution of a case handled by the WCDAO, and must be a victim of a qualifying criminal activity as defined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Please note, signing the Form I-918B does not grant immigration status. Eligibility is determined by USCIS.

To request certification, please forward a letter, along with an executed G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, to:

Office of the Westchester County District Attorney
Attn: U-Visa Coordinator
111 Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 5th floor
White Plains, NY 10601

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The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) pertains to the public's right to request government records. All requests made to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office pursuant to FOIL must be submitted in writing to the Records Access Officer and should be sent by e-mail to foil@westchesterda.net or by US Postal Service to:

Westchester County District Attorney’s Office
Attn: Records Access Officer
111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601

Requests should specify the format in which records are to be provided and include a contact name, phone number and e-mail address, if applicable. The statutory rate for reproduction of documents is $.25 per page. Additional costs may be assessed for reproduction of audio and video records.