As members of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, a national organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers, we are committed to justice, fairness, and the integrity of public institutions that serve our community. Mount Vernon is facing a defining test—not just of leadership, but of values. Will we choose competence or cronyism? Will we honor experience or reward loyalty? Our courts are not just another branch of government; they are where life-altering decisions are made. That’s why the people of Mount Vernon deserve strong, fair, and experienced leadership on the bench, not political appointees learning on the job.
We must ask the uncomfortable but necessary question: would you get on a train with someone who has never conducted one? Would you fly in a plane with someone who’s never logged a single hour in the cockpit? Of course not. Then why would the Democratic Party of Mount Vernon—and parts of the Black political class—support a judicial candidate with no courtroom experience, no criminal justice record, and no demonstrated readiness to preside over life-and-death legal decisions?
It’s not even logical. It’s political.
Part of the problem we face as a community is that too many within the Black political structure have stopped supporting Black excellence. They don’t champion the most qualified, most proven, or most respected Black professionals for leadership roles. Instead, they promote those most loyal to the party—regardless of whether they’re qualified to serve the people. It’s the kind of small-minded gatekeeping that keeps communities stagnant. Instead of empowering leaders who have earned their position through decades of work and results, they choose allies who will play along. That’s not leadership. That’s maintenance of the status quo.
That’s why we proudly support Judge Peter Davis, a man whose entire career has been about justice—not politics. Since 1993, Judge Davis has served on both sides of the courtroom—as a Westchester County Assistant District Attorney and later as a respected 18-B Indigent Defense Attorney in Mount Vernon, representing thousands of low-income defendants. He’s not new to the community. He’s been fighting for it his entire career.
Judge Davis earned national respect for representing the family of Sean Bell in the wake of their son’s tragic death, giving voice to their pain and bringing attention to unjust policing practices. He has made legal history, securing acquittals in high-stakes homicide cases—including the county’s first double jury trial and a double homicide acquittal after five years of pretrial detention at Rikers Island. These aren’t talking points; they’re outcomes. They represent lives defended, justice upheld, and experience you can’t fake.
Even while serving part-time on the bench between 2022 and 2024, Judge Davis continued to deliver favorable results in complex legal matters. He is currently a member of the Legal Aid Society’s Homicide Defense Task Force, entrusted with the toughest cases in the city. His record is unmatched. His commitment is unquestioned.
The fact that some are willing to overlook this record in favor of an unqualified candidate is not just troubling—it’s insulting. It suggests that for some political insiders, loyalty to the party is more important than loyalty to the people.
Mount Vernon deserves more. It deserves a judge who understands the law, respects the people, and can lead from experience, not ambition. Judge Davis has spent over 30 years earning that trust—case by case, client by client, verdict by verdict. We stand with him not because of politics, but because of results.
If we truly believe in Black excellence, we must support it when it’s in front of us. Otherwise, we are complicit in our own marginalization. Judge Peter Davis represents excellence, integrity, and justice. That is the leadership Mount Vernon needs now more than ever
