Alvin Bragg

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Alvin Bragg
37th District Attorney of New York County
Elect
Assuming office
January 1, 2022
SucceedingCyrus Vance Jr.
Personal details
Born (1973-10-21) October 21, 1973 (age 48)[1][better source needed]
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationHarvard University (AB, JD)

Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (born October 21, 1973) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from the state of New York. On Nov, 2, 2021, Bragg was elected as the next New York County District Attorney, becoming the first African-American and the first person of color elected to that office.[2] Bragg has previously served as chief deputy attorney general of New York and as an assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York.

Early life and education[]

Bragg is from the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem, and grew up on Striver's Row.[3] In an interview with The American Prospect, Bragg noted that he had been "deeply affected by the criminal justice system – most directly through three gunpoint stops by the NYPD."[4] He graduated from the Trinity School,[5] before he attended Harvard College. He graduated from Harvard cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in government in 1995,[3][6] and earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.[6][5]

Career[]

Bragg clerked for federal judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. before he joined the law firm Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello as an associate. His work there focused on white collar fraud and civil rights issues. In 2003, he joined the office of the attorney general of New York under Eliot Spitzer, before becoming the chief of litigation and investigations for the New York City Council. In 2009, Bragg left the city council to serve as assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York.[7]

In 2017, Eric Schneiderman, then serving as attorney general, appointed Bragg to be chief deputy attorney general of New York.[8] He ran the criminal justice and social justice divisions, and oversaw lawsuits brought by the state against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, and the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 United States Census. He left the role in December 2018.[9] He became a professor at the New York Law School, where he became co-director of the Racial Justice Project.[7] Bragg is a member of the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society. He has represented the families of Ramarley Graham and Eric Garner in civil litigation against New York City.[10]

In June 2019, Bragg announced his candidacy for the 2021 Democratic Party nomination for New York County District Attorney, a position that was then held by Cy Vance.[9] Vance opted not to run for reelection.[11] Following the June 22, 2021 Democratic primary, Bragg led all candidates in the reported vote count. Tali Farhadian Weinstein conceded the primary to Bragg on July 2.[12] On November 2, 2021, Bragg defeated Republican Thomas Kenniff in the general election. He is the first African-American to be elected New York County District Attorney.[2]

Personal life[]

Bragg married Jamila Marie Ponton in 2003.[13] They have two children.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ Morse, Steve. "New York State Voter Records One-Step Search Results". stevemorse.org. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Cline-Thomas, Aundrea (November 2, 2021). "Alvin Bragg Elected As Manhattan's First Black District Attorney". CBS News, New York.
  3. ^ a b Wilde, Anna D. (June 8, 1995). "The Anointed One: Students see Alvin Bragg as Conciliator". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Khardori, Ankush (July 13, 2021). "Restorative Justice Requires an 'All-of-the-Above Approach'". The American Prospect. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Paul, Deanna (May 9, 2021). "Alvin Bragg Leans on Harlem Roots in Manhattan District Attorney Race". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Saltonstall, Gus (June 16, 2021). "Manhattan District Attorney Race: Alvin Bragg Profile | Washington Heights, NY Patch". Patch.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "NY Chief Deputy AG Heading to New York Law School Teaching Post". New York Law Journal.
  8. ^ "A.G. Schneiderman Announces Appointment Of New Chief Deputy Attorney General Alvin Bragg And Executive Deputy Attorney General Margaret Garnett | New York State Attorney General". Ag.ny.gov. September 18, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Sanders, Anna. "Alvin Bragg announces Democratic primary campaign against Manhattan DA Cy Vance". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "A Life-Long Fight For Justice Spurred Alvin Bragg Into the Manhattan DA Race". The Indypendent. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Durkin, Erin. "Former federal prosecutor close to winning Manhattan DA primary". Politico PRO.
  12. ^ "Bragg Set to Be Manhattan's Next D.A., and a Potential Trump Scourge". The New York Times. June 22, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  13. ^ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Jamila Ponton, Alvin Bragg Jr". The New York Times. November 2, 2003. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
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