Draft:David M. Hoovler

David M. Hoovler (born August 13, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving as Orange County, New York's district attorney since 2014. As a Republican candidate, Hoovler was reelected in 2017 and 2021 against democratic candidate Michael Isgur.

Career
Hoovler was named state arson prosecutor for 2002 by the New York State Fire Investigators Association, beating out 49 other candidates, including the bigwigs from Manhattan.

Hoovler has served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx and Orange counties. In 2004, as an Orange County prosecutor, Hoovler prosecuted the Benkard Barrio Kings, Newburgh's street gang. In March 2005, Newburgh's Benkard Barrio Kings and 16 others were convicted on drug charges.

In March 2013, Hoovler challenged Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips, who had earlier announced that he would not run for re-election, has changed his mind and will run again. Despite Phillips' change of heart, Hoovler has confirmed that he will continue to run for the seat. Hoovler focused on taking back cities and implementing community prosecution.

He was elected in 2013 defeating Democrat Michael Isgur. Hoovler explained to voters that crime is driven by “social disorganization” and that “one shot at rehabilitation” is all anyone gets with him.

He supported outdoor drug sweeps that resulted in the arrest of people for possessing marijuana.

During his 2013 campaign, Hoovler explained his strategy aims to address narcotics trafficking and related offenses in Orange County and its neighboring communities.

In 2014, Hoovler established a new department within his office known as the Special Projects and Community Affairs Bureau. The bureau collaborated with the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) of Orange County.

In 2017, Hoovler was reelected, receiving 65 percent of the vote to Michael Isgur's 35 percent.

In 2019, Hoovler, the vice president of DAASNY, expressed concerns in an op-ed published in the Times Herald-Record that the NY criminal discovery reform proposal could make witnesses vulnerable to intimidation and threats. According to Hoovler, meeting the new discovery obligations without additional resources from the State would be challenging. He expressed concerns that adequate support could make compliance with the commitments easier.

In 2019, Hoovler faced backlash from bail reform supporters who accused him of using his opposition to aid his Republican allies. However, Hoovler denied the accusation, stating that as a district attorney, he was speaking out about public safety, which was part of his responsibility.

In 2020, Hoovler stated that the recent changes to the criminal justice system in New York have weakened the ability of prosecutors to protect witnesses and victims of crime, putting them at risk of retaliation.