David Soares

As of 2016, Soares serves at the 1st Vice President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) and is a Board of Directors at the New York State Prosecutors Training Institute. Soares served as President of DAASNY from July 2018 through July 2019.

Soares has received several public service awards during his tenure as District Attorney, including being named a 2015 "America's Top 10 Animal Defender" by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Whitney M. Young Community Partner of the Year Award in 2014 for hosting HIV/AIDS testing at the office's Community Justice and Outreach Center in Albany.

Attorney Lee Kindlon announced his plans to challenge Soares in a Democratic Party primary in 2012. Soares was endorsed for re-election by the Albany Times Union.

Soares won the primary on September 13, 2012, by an unofficial count of 14,498 to 10,1432.

In 2011, Soares was criticized by members of both major parties for declining to prosecute participants in the Occupy Albany demonstrations who were arrested for violating a curfew in Albany's Academy Park. During an interview with Keith Olbermann, Soares called Occupy Albany a "wonderful protest," and stated that "we would decline to prosecute any of the cases, any of the arrests, based upon the fact that unless there were injuries to police officers or damages to property, then the people should be allowed to exercise their First Amendment right." Albany County Republican Party Chairman Don Clarey described Soares' decision not to prosecute as being "politically motivated," while attorney Lee Kindlon, who lost a challenge to Soares in a Democratic primary in 2012, accused Soares of violating his oath of office. Soares beat Kindlon handily in a primary that year, illustrating that Kindlon's argument did not negatively influence voters in the least. In addition, the Working Families Party circulated a petition supporting Soares' decision not to prosecute the Occupy protesters.

In November 2008, Soares won re-election by a landslide, 73% to 27%, with a 50,000 vote margin.

There was speculation in early 2007 in the local and national media that Soares might run for re-election as District Attorney, or for higher office, in 2008.

Soares was featured in Vibe Magazine, in which interview he discussed his goals and hopes for his career. On October 26, 2007, Soares was mentioned in the largest local daily newspaper as a possible replacement for Congressman Mike McNulty in the 2008 race for Congress in the 21st congressional district of New York. However, Soares opted to run for re-election in 2008 instead.

On January 3, 2007, Soares said he would open investigations into wrongdoings in the New York state departments of Education, Health, Motor Vehicles, Labor and Insurance.

Soares investigated the so-called Troopergate scandal in August and September 2007, and found that Governor Eliot Spitzer and his staff broke no laws. He re-opened his investigation amid much criticism.

In October 2006, Soares opened an investigation into New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi on allegations of defrauding the government. On December 22, 2006, Hevesi accepted a plea bargain from Soares which called for Hevesi to plead guilty to one count of defrauding the government based on his personal use of state employees to care for his ailing wife, in lieu of a grand jury indictment.

Soares' office's first big case was the murder case of Peter Porco, an attorney, in 2005. ADA Michael McDermott and ADA David Rossi secured a guilty verdict for the murder against Porco's son, Christopher Porco after a change of venue moved the case to Orange County, NY. Christopher Porco was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. In October 2011, the New York Court of Appeals upheld Porco's conviction. The case was profiled by several media outlets, including the Lifetime TV Network's rendition entitled "Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story."

On November 2, 2004, Soares was elected as Albany County District Attorney. He defeated incumbent District Attorney Paul Clyne in a Democratic primary, and in the general election he defeated Clyne (Independence Party) and Roger J. Cusick (Republican). September 2004 Democratic Primary election for district attorney

Former DA Clyne, who lost to current DA Soares by a landslide in the 2004 Democratic primaries, initially contemplated opposing his successor for re-election; but eventually he decided not to run. For a moment it looked as though Soares might run unopposed since no candidate from either major parties, Democratic or Republican, had filed to run for the office of District Attorney of Albany County before the deadline to file expired. However, since there was still time left for independent candidates to file, Roger Cusick, a Republican, who had opposed DA Soares in 2004 and lost, declared himself as an independent candidate on August 18, one day before the deadline to file as an independent candidate would have expired. Cusick was able to get enough signatures to put himself in the ballot list. He once again opposed DA Soares in the November 2008 election.

P. David Soares (born October 26, 1969 in Brava, Cape Verde) is the Albany County, New York District Attorney. He is a Democrat.