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   MEET WILLIAM   

WILLIAM O. WAGSTAFF III'S STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE IS THE CONSISTENT DRIVING FORCE BEHIND HIS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND AS AN ATTORNEY AND PRINCIPAL OF THE WAGSTAFF FIRM, P.C.

William was born and raised in Westchester County, is a Pace Law School graduate, and has an MBA from Fordham University. He is raising two great kids with his wife Christina, and he's asking for your support to make him the first Black District Attorney in Westchester County history.

William Wagstaff standing in front of the Westchester County Courthouse

William became a lawyer because he wanted to make an impact. Just like many of you, he’s become frustrated with the lip service given to criminal justice reform and how the system doesn’t work to keep our communities safe, families intact, and rehabilitation an option.

 

William’s practice concentrates on Civil Rights Litigation, Criminal Defense, and Municipal Law. He is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and several Federal Districts. His cases have been covered in the New York Law Journal and The New York Times and on CNN, MSNBC, and ABC, among other media outlets.

William Wagstaff with his wife and two children in the park.

His service to his hometown and community includes Special Prosecutor for Police Disciplinary Hearings, Special Counsel to Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard and the City’s Law Department, Member of the Police Reform Commission, and Chair of Mayor Patterson-Howard’s Judicial Appointment Committee. He is also former Special Counsel to the Village of Spring Valley Board of Trustees.

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William is committed to driving police reform and accountability for bad actors,

while supporting our first responders who put their lives on the line to protect us. He created a training module and trained the Mount Vernon Police Department on the laws regarding police encounters with civilians, use of force, litigation prep and report writing, and handling civilians with disabilities or mental health concerns. He successfully represented the Hudson Valley Chapter of Black Lives Matter and its members in an illegal surveillance case against the Town of Clarkstown.

William Wagstaff and his wife

His active involvement in the legal community includes serving on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Society of Westchester, being a member of the New York State Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, and the Westchester Black Bar Association.

William's commitment to his community matches his commitment to justice. He co-sponsors an annual coat drive with Collective for a Cause that collects thousands of coats and donates them to families in need. William is a member of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge State of New York, Joppa Lodge No. 55. He is a member of the African American Men of Westchester and Chair of the Mentoring Committee. William is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and has participated in the New Rochelle-White Plains Alumni Chapter's Kappa League mentoring program.

Westchester needs a District Attorney with a unique background and fresh perspective to meet this moment.

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY + JUSTICE

  • Represents families in high-profile civil rights cases

  • ​Successfully represented Hudson Valley Chapter of Black Lives Matter and its members in an illegal surveillance case

 

  • ​Special Prosecutor for the City of Mount Vernon

 

  • Board Member for the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County
  • Chairman of Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard's Judicial Appointment Committee
  • Chair, African American Men of Westchester Mentoring Committee
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