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Queens County District Attorney

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The District Attorney of Queens County is the elected district attorney for Queens County in New York State , coterminous with the New York City borough of Queens. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws . ( Federal law violations in Queens are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York ). The current Queens County District Attorney is Melinda Katz , who assumed the duties of the office on January 1, 2020. There was an inauguration on January 6, 2020 at her alma mater, St. Johns University .

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20-501: In a legislative act of February 12, 1796, New York State was divided into seven districts, each with its own Assistant Attorney General. Queens County was part of the First District, which also included Kings, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. (At that time, Queens County included much of present-day Nassau County, and Westchester County included present-day Bronx County.) In 1801, the office of Assistant Attorney General

40-686: A full term. From 1847 to 1942, the term length was three years. In November 1942, a DA was elected to a one-year term. From the election of November 1943, the DA has been elected to a four-year term. The Bronx (Bronx County) Darcel Clark Brooklyn (Kings County) Eric Gonzalez Manhattan (New York County) Alvin Bragg Queens (Queens County) Melinda Katz Staten Island (Richmond County) Michael McMahon Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan U.S. Attorney for

60-482: A term of three years. From 1847 on, the secretary and the other state cabinet officers were elected by the voters at the state elections in November in odd years to a two-year term, so that, until 1877, they served in the second half of the term of the governor in office and the first half of the term of the succeeding governor, since the governors at the time were elected to a two-year term in even years. From 1877 on,

80-536: A vacancy, the Governor of New York filled the vacancy temporarily until a successor was elected, always to a full term, at the next annual election. One year after the 1898 Consolidation of New York City , Nassau County was separated from Queens County. In case of a vacancy, a DA is appointed by the Governor to fill the office temporarily. A new DA is then elected at the next annual election in November, always to

100-601: Is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York is Walter T. Mosley , a Democrat . The secretary is responsible for the regulation of a number of businesses and professions, including private investigators , cosmetologists , real estate brokers , appraisers , and notaries public . The secretary also regulates cemeteries , registers corporations and business organizations , and maintains business records under

120-456: Is responsible for publishing local laws on their website and as a supplement to the Laws of New York . They are also responsible for publishing on their website a complete codification of all local laws in effect that have been adopted by the legislative body of each county. The office of the secretary of state of New York was established in 1778, and is one of the oldest government agencies of

140-734: The Southern District of New York Damian Williams [REDACTED] U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace Council of Appointment The Council of Appointment (sometimes also Council of Appointments ) was a body of the Government of New York that existed from 1777 to 1822. Under the New York Constitution of 1777, the Council of Appointment consisted of

160-588: The Governor of New York , who was ex officio president of this council but had only a casting vote , and four members of the New York State Senate , one each from the state's senatorial electoral districts. These state senators were elected for a one-year term by the New York State Assembly and could not be re-elected for the following term. The Council had the power to appoint all state, county and municipal officials within

180-521: The Mayor of New York City ), all military officers and many others. The Council of Appointment had its origins in the fear of too much popular influence in the government. The first New York Constitution was aristocratic and elitist in spirit. As long as the governor alone nominated appointees, he had as much power over the state's patronage as a medieval king. On the other side, during the long tenure of Governor George Clinton , very rarely an office holder

200-588: The Uniform Commercial Code and other laws. The New York State Athletic Commission is vested within the department and regulates combat sports such as boxing and professional wrestling occurring within the state. The secretary's office includes the Office of Local Government Services, which provides training assistance to local governments in areas such as fire prevention , coastal management , and code enforcement . The secretary of state

220-595: The Constitution of 1821, the State cabinet officers and Supreme Court justices were elected by the State Legislature, and most of the county and local officers were elected in local popular or legislative elections. The governor continued to appoint only a very small number of officers and had the right to make recess appointments . Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York

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240-593: The governor and each one of the Council members concurrently. This led to an annual scramble for office, especially if the majority in the Assembly changed. Alexander Hamilton criticized the Council in his Federalist No. 77 . The council was abolished by the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821 and ceased to exist at the end of the year 1822, at which time more than 15,000 offices had been under its control. Under

260-404: The governor served a three-year term, while the secretary continued to be elected for two years. The secretary elected in 1895 received an additional year and served a three-year term, and from 1898 on, the secretary and other state officers were elected in even years to a two-year term at the same time as the governor, and they served concurrently. In 1926, during the governorship of Al Smith ,

280-419: The governor. Governor John Jay , who had drafted the Constitution, asserted that the Council could not propose appointees, only vote for or against the governor's nominees. So when the Council voted down all of his nominees, in his opinion, nobody could be appointed. The question was settled at the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1801, which amended the Constitution, giving the right of nomination to

300-536: The office "during the Council's pleasure", meaning that there was no defined term of office. Under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1821 , the D.A. was appointed to a three-year term by the County Court. Under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1846 , the office became elective by popular ballot. The term was three years, beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. In case of

320-412: The power to make nominations and appointments. The constitution stated that the governor would have the " casting voice , but no other vote; and with the advice and consent of the said council..." The custom arose that the governor made the nominations, and the Council approved, or rejected, them. But when the legislature had a majority of the opposition, they would elect three or four senators and outvote

340-875: The state of New York for which no other means of appointment or election was provided for in the State Constitution. The offices filled by the Council included the State Comptroller , the Secretary of State , the Attorney General , the Surveyor General , the Chancellor , the justices of the New York Supreme Court , sheriffs, district attorneys, judges, surrogates , city and county clerks, mayors (including

360-564: The state of New York. Until 1822, the secretary of state was appointed by the Council of Appointment for an indefinite term, but could be substituted at any time, especially if the majority party in the council changed. Besides his other duties, the secretary of state was also the secretary of the Council of Appointment. From 1823 to 1845, the secretary was elected by joint ballot of the New York State Legislature for

380-550: Was removed, and the Council only filled vacancies as they occurred by resignation, death, declination of re-appointment, or term limit. Troubles, however, arose after the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party appeared, and began to alternate as majority in the Assembly. Because of the lack of clarity in the 1777 New York Constitution, the parties struggled over who, exactly, held

400-409: Was renamed District Attorney. At the same time, New York County was added to the First District. Westchester County was separated from the First District in 1813, and New York County was separated in 1815. In 1818, all 13 districts were broken up, and each county in the State of New York became a separate district. Until 1822, the district attorney was appointed by the Council of Appointment , and held

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