Joyce A. Smith Sworn In As Acting Nassau District Attorney

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — This afternoon, Joyce A. Smith was sworn in as the acting district attorney of Nassau County.

Smith is replacing Madeline Singas, who was confirmed as a justice to the New York State Court of Appeals yesterday. Smith is the first African-American woman to hold the office. Singas swore in Smith at a ceremony this afternoon.

Previously, Smith was the executive assistant district attorney for the Community Relations Division, a position she held since 2018. The division oversaw five offices, including recruitment, immigrant affairs, community affairs and victim services. According to the DA's office, Smith led several councils across Nassau County that were aimed at engagement efforts and creating collaboration between police, prosecutors and the community.

Smith has also worked with the county executive’s team responsible for the development of the Nassau County Family Justice Center, which will provide resources and support for families in crisis and survivors of intimate partner violence, and as a member of the Hempstead Prevention Coalition, which addresses substance abuse and addiction in Hempstead Village.

Before her time in the Community Relations Division, Smith served as a staff attorney in the U.S. commissioner on Civil Rights' Office of the General Counsel, where she investigated and recommended best practices for police-community relations and law enforcement. She also worked as the executive director for the Bronx Family Justice Center in New York City, and as the assistant commissioner/deputy chief of staff for the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence.

She began her law career as an assistant district attorney in Queens, where she worked for 15 years.

Currently, Smith is also an adjunct professor for Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law and Nassau Community College, where she teaches various courses in law and criminal justice. She previously taught undergraduate criminal justice courses for Monroe College, the University of Maryland and the Community College of Baltimore County.