WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace and Westchester County Attorney John Nonna announced today a new inter-agency agreement that will streamline the prosecution of cases involving underage offenders.

A new Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the District Attorney and County Attorney Wednesday morning, allows up to six Law Department attorneys to operate as Westchester County District Attorney’s Office designees and prosecute cases appearing in the Youth Part, with the expectation that these cases will eventually be removed to Family Court.

Previously, the Law Department would only prosecute cases involving adolescent and juvenile offenders after they are transferred to Family Court.

This new agreement will significantly streamline the prosecution of these cases, making more efficient use of prosecutorial resources and taking a fairer, more holistic approach to offenses committed by adolescent and juvenile defendants.

The work of the Law Department attorneys will be supervised by experienced prosecutors at the District Attorney’s Office. And final prosecutorial decisions regarding Youth Part cases will be made by District Attorney’s Office supervisors, in consultation with Law Department attorneys.

DA Cacace said: “This agreement provides a fairer, more efficient path to justice for our victims while offering underage defendants a more holistic approach to their cases. It is rare to find a reform that benefits all stakeholders in a criminal case, but I truly believe this agreement accomplishes that task. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to County Attorney Nonna for his strong partnership on this issue.”