This message is a candidate communication to the members of the Ansonia Independent Democratic Club. This candidate has not been endorsed by the Ansonia Independent Democrats. The club will vote on endorsements at our meeting on Wednesday, May 27th.
Dear Ansonia Independent Democratic Club Member,
It has been a pleasure meeting and speaking with so many of you over the past few months. I want to thank you for inviting me into your club, and also take the opportunity, as you consider your endorsement in this important race, to reiterate why I am I running for District Attorney and what my vision is for the future of the office.
The District Attorney is entrusted with responsibility, both to keep our city safe and to ensure that justice is done in every case. This requires not only a District Attorney that upholds the highest standards of integrity, but also a District Attorney that possesses the judgment and experience required to do the job effectively.
I was born and raised here in Manhattan, into a family that appreciated and valued public service. I attended Yale University and worked my way through Georgetown Law School. After I graduated in 1982, I returned home to New York and joined the Manhattan DA's office where I prosecuted everything from murder and organized crime to political corruption and white-collar crime. Today I live on 103rd and West End with my wife Peggy and my two children, both of whom attended public high school here in the city. I can vividly recall the days when violent crime was rampant on our streets, and I am committed to ensuring that we never return to them. We must remain serious in combating violent crime. The office already has a Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office, and creating a Special Weapons Prosecutor's Office will be one of my first actions as DA. We must stand up for victims of domestic violence and elder abuse and we must make sure young offenders are diverted from crime before they become victims of our system.
Today, the effects of economic crime have come to the forefront, as a troubled economy leaves no one untouched. We must renew the office's commitment to prosecuting white-collar and economic crime, to not only protect the integrity of our financial institutions, but also to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities: tenants being harassed by unscrupulous landlords, immigrants being denied a fair wage, the not-for-profits that service our neighborhoods, and the working families who have seen their savings dwindle.
Since my time in the DA's office, I have been an attorney in private practice, on both coasts, handling complex civil and criminal cases. Not only have these experiences taught me how to build, and win, these types of cases, they have afforded me a unique perspective on fairness that I believe sets me apart in this race. Likewise, my involvement in criminal justice policy both in Washington and New York City has allowed me to observe and understand how other cities fight crime and to understand what works and what doesn't, as well as how communities can be a partner in that effort.
While it is easy to talk about progressive ideals, I have lived them first hand. I have represented indigent defendants, the wrongfully accused, death row inmates and victims of discrimination. I served on sentencing commissions in two states, including here in New York, where our recommendations helped put an end to the draconian Rockefeller drug laws. The firm I co-founded in Seattle was perhaps best known for its successful representation of current and former female employees of the Boeing Company in a class action pay discrimination suit. This suit resulted not only in a financial settlement, but also a change in the way Boeing treats its employees. It is because of this fundamental commitment to fairness that I have ALWAYS opposed the death penalty and will vigorously oppose any efforts to bring it back.
I am honored to have been endorsed by former Mayor David Dinkins and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, as well as a host of legal and community leaders. They know what it takes to manage an office of more than 500 trial lawyers handling thousands of cases, and I am honored to have their vote of confidence
I know from experience that what defines a great District Attorney is not just how he or she handles the biggest, most heinous crimes, but how he or she handles the thousands upon thousands of smaller cases, and above all, how successful the office is in preventing future crime, and that is my commitment to you.
I hope I can count on your vote on tomorrow evening.
Sincerely,
Cy Vance