Civil rights attorney William O. Wagstaff III running for Westchester County District Attorney
Civil rights lawyer William O. Wagstaff III, 42, announced his candidacy for District Attorney last November. He aims to become Westchester County’s first Black DA. A community organizer with a passion for public safety, Wagstaff has a law practice that concentrates on civil rights litigation, criminal defense, and municipal law. He has handled some of the area’s highest -profile civil rights cases and lawsuits against police in various cities and counties for using excessive force, illegal police surveillance, shooting an unarmed man and the death of a Riker’s I sland detainee held in solitary confinement. “Mount Vernon is an interesting place. We’re a suburban community that has urban issues,” said Wagstaff about his hometown. “You have people who are coming from social -economic backgrounds where they have been disadvantaged in most instances, whether it’s because of educational disadvantage, the family structure, or not having the best role models to look up to [and] uplift you.” Wagstaff was brought up in Mt. Vernon as an only child in a loving home. His parents were married for 45 years. His mother was a teacher and principal, and his father a gas station chain owner. Wagstaff was heavily involved in sports and in the community as a youth but had an “unfortunate encounter” with someone he thought was a friend who forcibly extorted him for money he had borrowed. He had to work off his “debt” and ended up with a federal misdemeanor. He started law school at Pace Law while on federal house arrest . After his graduation and pursuing bar admittance, Wagstaff also earned an MBA from Fordham Business School. The judge who had sentenced him ultimately wrote his letter of recommendation and remains a close friend, he said. “I was fortunate enough that I had a family that was in a position to support me and make sure that when I was caught in the system, I did not end up thrown away,” said Wagstaff. He has since vowed to be the kind of lawyer for others that he needed in his time of exigency. Wagstaff has also served as the City of Mount Vernon’s special prosecutor for police discipline, co -sponsored an annual coat drive with Collective for a Cause in Yonkers, serves as chair of the African American Men of Westchester Mentoring Committee, is on the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of Westchester, and is a member of the Westchester Black Bar Association. Wagstaff firmly believes in a data-driven approach to the role of DA. He plans to use data to reduce crime, improve quality of life, promote restorative justice, address racial disparities, provide fair plea bargaining, charge with restraint, and eradicate hate crimes. Because of his experiences, he wants to give young people a second chance at redemption, career opportunities, and development with supplemental punishments as opposed to harsh sentencing. “There needs to be an additional investment in reaching into the community and supporting the young people,” said Wagstaff. Currently, he lives in Westchester with his expecting wife and two kids and is hitting the campaign trail hard. The DA race has, as of this Tuesday, a total of five candidates who are running to replace current Westchester County DA Miriam Rocah. The primary will be held on June 25, 2024.
Prince Hall Sentinel May 2024 Page | 14
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator