Westchester County D.A. Race: Defense Attorney, Ex-Prosecutor Bendish Primed
Bruce Bendish’s campaign motto is “Experience Matters,” and the White Plains resident is reminding voters of that in advance of next Tuesday’s race for Westchester County district attorney against Democratic challenger Nicholas Scarpino.
Bendish has had two distinct parts to his career since graduating St. John’s Law School more than 40 years ago. From 1973 to 1987, he was an assistant district attorney under longtime D.A. Carl Vergari, spending the last five years of his tenure as head of the Homicide Bureau.
Since leaving that position, Bendish, 70, has been a criminal defense attorney and a partner in the Elmsford law firm of Goodrich & Bendish. Both he and Scarpino are looking to succeed Janet DiFiore, who left the office earlier this year after she was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo chief judge of the court of appeals.
“I think it was the right time,” he said of his decision to pursue the post as Westchester’s chief law enforcement officer. “It was a vacant spot. I have a lot of experience as a prosecutor. Westchester is at a time where we need somebody with experience.”
Combatting drugs, particularly the heroin epidemic, and making sure there is a healthy trust between communities and law enforcement are two of Bendish’s key goals.
Bendish, running on the Republican, Independence and Reform party lines, said he will work to have meetings involving stakeholders, including clergy, educators, local police and the district attorney’s office. While he said Westchester doesn’t have a serious problem between police and minority communities seen in other areas of the nation, having an open dialogue with all residents is always needed to prevent difficulties.
“I think when people understand why things are being done it’s a lot easier to accept,” said Bendish, who is pursuing elected office for the first time. “A lot of times the community doesn’t know why things are being done. If we’re having these exchanges between the community leaders, that information can get out to the community and they can understand.”
Bendish said whatever the county is doing to battle the drug scourge has been unsuccessful. Holding forums with students on the dangers of drugs should start earlier, as soon as they’re in middle school, he said.
There is also work to be done with parents, some of whom mistakenly believe that being in a good school district will protect their children from drugs.
“I think a lot of the issues with the school-age kids is working with the parents,” Bendish said. “They’re not recognizing the problem.”
Bendish wants to see a sharp expansion of drug courts throughout the county, to focus on rehabilitation for the drug user. It’s a stringent yearlong program that if successfully completed will result in the person having no criminal record. Currently, there are only courts in a handful of the county’s largest municipalities, creating inequity depending on where an offense occurs, Bendish said.
He pledged to staff any drug court in Westchester with an assistant district attorney if a municipality launches the program.
“Drug court is not easy street,” Bendish said. “Drug court is intense, really for a year where you’re going to court every week, you’re being tested every week, you have to report every week what counseling sessions you’ve gone to.”
Bendish was clear he would offer no leniency to drug dealers.
He is also an advocate of Veterans Court to help veterans who have mental health and dependency issues to receive the help they need.
Bendish, who has two grown children and six grandchildren, said he would help the county’s most vulnerable population, the elderly, from fraud and identity theft through education. He also plans to create an Elder Abuse Unit to tackle not only physical abuse but financial exploitation.
A key issue among child advocates is raising the age for minors who commit certain offenses so they stay out of the criminal justice system and jail. Bendish said he has no objection to that proposal, but would not extend it for any serious or violent offenses.
He pledged jail time for anyone convicted of offenses involving illegal firearms. Bendish said he is the candidate best suited for the job. There has never been an elected district attorney in Westchester who did not serve as a prosecutor at some point, he said. Scarpino has been a judge at various levels for about 30 years.
“A Major League umpire has seen a lot of fastballs, is there anyone who thinks he can hit one?” Bendish asked.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/