Published:
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins has announced the reappointment of Stephanie Perez as Administrator of the Westchester County Independent Office of Assigned Counsel (OAC), where she will continue to lead the Office in its mission to ensure access to quality legal representation for individuals who cannot afford an attorney. Perez previously served as Acting Administrator and Deputy Commissioner of the Office, bringing extensive experience and a strong commitment to ensure fairness and access to justice for Westchester County’s residents.
Jenkins said: “Stephanie Perez has demonstrated her leadership, expertise and commitment to the Office of Assigned Counsel throughout her time with the County. She understands the importance of ensuring that every individual, regardless of their circumstance, has access to qualified legal representation. I am confident that Stephanie will continue to build on the strong foundation of the Office, and lead it forward with the dedication and professionalism that our residents deserve.”
Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Independent Office of Assigned Counsel Wendy Weathers, Esq. said: “We celebrate the reappointment of Stephanie Perez as Administrator of the Independent Office of Assigned Counsel. Her steady guidance has been instrumental in strengthening our legal system's integrity, ensuring access to justice, and providing critical resources to panel attorneys. Her continued leadership ensures that the vital mission of providing fair, equitable, and mandated legal representation to our community remains in highly capable hands. We are thrilled with her reappointment for another four years.”
Perez said: “I would like to thank County Executive Jenkins and the Board of Directors of the Independent Office of Assigned Counsel for reappointing me to this position. I am deeply grateful for their continued trust, shared vision, and unwavering support. Assigned Counsel panel attorneys serve as a vital lifeline in our family and criminal courts by providing high-quality legal representation to indigent community members. As our Office enters its fourth year, I am incredibly proud of the foundation that our dedicated team has built. We have streamlined the case management system, rolled out comprehensive wellness and trauma-informed seminars such as ‘In Defense of Defenders’ to combat attorney burnout, launched a first of its kind phone calling system in partnership with other County Departments to provide access to justice for our clients at the County jail, and fortified the structural integrity of our local defense network. As I step into this reappointment, I remain steadfast in leading this charge and look forward to continuing to grow our program to serve our community, and ensure that poverty never strips a person of their day in court or their right to justice.”
The OAC is responsible for providing mandated legal representation to eligible individuals in criminal and family court proceedings throughout Westchester County. Perez oversees more than 250 attorneys who comprise the Assigned Counsel Panel, the largest provider of mandated legal representation in Westchester County. In addition to representing clients who cannot afford to hire an attorney in both Criminal and Family proceedings, the OAC ensures that panel attorneys are well-qualified, have access to the resources necessary to practice law at the highest level, and are compensated with County and/or State funds as provided by New York State Law.
Perez has deep roots in Westchester County having grown up in Yonkers, and worked for the Law Department for more than a decade. She is trained in Forensic Interviewing Best Practices and has worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team to investigate and prosecute matters involving child victims. In 2019, Stephanie was appointed Deputy Borough Chief in the New York City Law Department’s Family Court Division, where she supervised the Juvenile Rehabilitation and Community Safety Team, and worked closely with the community to create better outcomes for juveniles, highlighting the importance of diversion options and alternative resolutions.
