Darcel Clark officially becomes the new Bronx district attorney and New York State’s first Black female district attorney. The former associate justice was sworn in at a ceremony on Saturday at Lehman College in the Bronx.
During her inauguration speech, Clark said she wants to focus several things including gun violence, political corruption and cleaning up Rikers Island.
“As a daughter of the Bronx, who once dreamed of holding the office that I am now sworn to uphold, this is an honor and a privilege of a lifetime,” she said. “While many of us come from ordinary means, we are capable of extraordinary things.”
The ceremony was attended by several elected officials including Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Clark replaces former Bronx DA Robert Johnson who did not run for reelection seeking to become a judge. In September, Clark resigned from the bench and accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to run.
She beat her Republican opponent Robert Slano taking 86 percent of the votes in November.
A child of the Bronx, Clark is originally from the Soundview section of the borough. She earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Boston College before going to the historically-Black Howard University School of Law to earn her Juris Doctor degree.
Prior to becoming a judge Clark worked in the Bronx DA’s office serving as Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, Supervising Assistant District Attorney and Assistant District Attorney.