The first black female district attorney of New York was announced Saturday. Darcel Clark was sworn in as the new District Attorney of the Bronx and she is telling everyone that she will not let anyone down. She is a former judge in Manhattan Appellate Court who started her career as a Bronx prosecutor and she said that she is proud to be the Bronx’s first female DA. Check out the rest of the story after the jump.

Instagram | Carli Knox

Congratulations to Darcel Clark for becoming the Bronx’s first female DA.

“I can say to any little girl, you know, if you work really hard, you can go on to law school, you can become an Assistant District Attorney, you can become a judge and then you can become District Attorney of the Bronx.”

she said at a ceremony at Lehman College.

The process essentially allowed a handful of Democratic Party leaders to hand-pick Clark for the post. Many criticized the process as essentially cutting out voters. Clark grew up in the Soundview housing project and spent over 16 years as a judge. She also told the crowd of people

“We will no longer allow needless delays to hinder prosecutions.

while pledging to start a new unit to review questionable old convictions and to focus on chipping away at the borough’s massive backlog of felony cases trial.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, among dozens of pols who attended the inauguration, praised the new district attorney as a trailblazer.

“It’s a great day for the Bronx, not only because of the glass ceiling Darcel has broken, but also because the people of the Bronx are the future of New York and America”

the senator said.

Mayor de Blasio was very impressed and praised Clark for returning to the borough where she grew up. “She chose to serve the public because she remembered where she came from.” the mayor said.

Source: New York Daily Journal ABC7 NY