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Tony Castro for District Attorney
Tony Castro is WCLA’s choice for Westchester District Attorney. He unequivocally supports a woman’s right to choose abortion and understands the reproductive health issues that are on the horizon. Castro has demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the current issues and threats to reproductive rights.
Before becoming a candidate for District Attorney, Castro was a prosecutor with the Bronx District Attorney’s office for 14 years. While there, he served as Deputy Bureau Chief in charge of Homicide Investigations and supervised the Grand Jury Evaluation Bureau. Many assistant prosecutors were answerable to him.
To be considered for endorsement, candidates must respond to a comprehensive questionnaire detailing their views on the many issues that comprise “abortion rights.” It isn’t enough to say “I’m pro-choice”; candidates must show a familiarity with relevant legislation and court decisions.
Unlike other organizations, incumbents receive the same scrutiny as challengers. Jeanine Pirro, the incumbent DA, lost the support of WCLA after she submitted a questionnaire with significant omissions and responses contrary to WCLA’s position. In a follow-up phone discussion with WCLA, Pirro demonstrated a surprising lack of knowledge regarding serious threats to access to the full range of reproductive health care. For example, Pirro hand-wrote “I don’t know” instead of answering YES or NO on an eight-part question based upon the so-called partial-birth abortion ban, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In her questionnaire, Pirro stated that she did not oppose hospital mergers which would result in the loss of reproductive health services. The mergers of religious and nonsectarian hospitals are of tremendous concern to family planning advocates in New York State since religious hospitals, usually Catholic, when partnering with nonsectarian hospitals, seek to eliminate abortion and family planning services (including tubal ligation) from the roster of provided medical services.
In discussion, Pirro showed some recognition of the issue, but not the understanding that would be expected of someone who expresses a strong feeling about women’s rights in this area. WCLA was disheartened that this incumbent was so ill-informed about issues that have been covered in the press and previous issues of Pro-Choice – yet seeks the endorsement of the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion .
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