Thank you for visiting The Office of the Westchester County District Attorney.

The following policy describes our privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this Web site and our applications. It describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this Web site and our applications, you should examine the privacy policy of any Web site, including other governmental and nongovernmental Web sites you may access via links from this Web site. This Web site is maintained by Westchester County.

What is “personal information” and how is it collected?
For purposes of this policy, "personal information" means any information concerning an individual user and any identifying information including name, number, symbol, mark or other identifier. This Web site does not collect any personal information about you unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or by initiating an online transaction, including, but not limited to, registering for an e-mail subscription or filling out an online form.

What information is collected automatically when I visit this Web site?
When visiting this Web site, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

i. The internet protocol address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The internet protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your internet service provider or directly to your computer;

ii. The type of browser and operating system you used;

iii. The date and time you visited this site;

iv. The webpages or services you accessed at this site;

v. The Web site you visited before coming to this Web site;

vi. The Web site you visit as you leave this Web site; and

vii. If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded.

None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information. The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this Web site's content and to help us understand how users are interacting with the Web site. This information is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the Web site. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and Westchester County and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the Web site for commercial marketing purposes.

What are Cookies?
Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this Web site. The use of cookies is a standard practice among internet Web sites. To better serve you, we use "session cookies" to enhance or customize your visit to this Web site. Session cookies can be created automatically on the device you use to access this Web site. These session cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated identifying tag on the device you use to access this Web site. A session cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is closed. The software and hardware you use to access the Web site allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some features of this Web site.

What information is collected when I e-mail this Web site or fill out an online form? 
Your e-mail address and the contents of your message including, but not limited to, text characters, audio, video and graphic information formats will be collected. Your e-mail address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this Web site, or to forward your message to another governmental entity for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is never collected for commercial purposes.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this Web site. Users are cautioned, however, the collection of personal information submitted in an e-mail will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access by federal or state law, be subject to public access. The District Attorney strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children’s internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information online.

Information requested via online forms will be used only for the purpose of the form that was submitted. This data will not be shared for any other purpose.

What happens to my information when I subscribe to an e-mail?
During your visit to this Web site, you may wish to join one or more e-mail lists to receive important news or public alerts. We do not sell, rent, loan, trade, or lease the addresses on our lists to anyone. In addition, our list servers are configured so they do not divulge the e-mail addresses of our list subscribers. Members of any list may unsubscribe automatically by following the instructions provided within the e-mail they receive.

Disclosure of information collected through this Web site 
Westchester County will only collect personal information through this Web site or disclose personal information collected through this Web site if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information, except as otherwise provided below. The voluntary disclosure of personal information to Westchester County by the user, whether solicited or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the collection and disclosure of the information for the purposes for which the user disclosed the information to Westchester County, as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the disclosure.

However, Westchester County may collect or disclose personal information without user consent if the collection or disclosure is: (1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of Westchester County, or necessary for Westchester County to operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by county, state or federal statute or regulation; (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; (3) for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or (4) of information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular person.

Westchester County may disclose personal information to law enforcement authorities to enforce Westchester County’s rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to Westchester County’s information technology assets.

What is the confidentiality and integrity of personal information collected through this Web site?
The information collected through this Web site is retained by Westchester County in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of New York State Law. Information, including personal information that you submit in an e-mail or when you fill out a form, is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information.

The District Attorney’s Office and Westchester County are strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this Web site against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, Westchester County limits county employee access to personal information collected through this Web site to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information are required to follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.

In addition, Westchester County has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day operations of this Web site as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.

For Web site security purposes and to maintain the availability of the Web site for all users, Westchester County employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this Web site.

Disclaimer of Liability
Information provided on this Web site is intended to allow the public a form of access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information, Westchester County recognizes the possibility of human and/or mechanical error. Therefore, Westchester County makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or suitability of the information provided by this Web site, and denies any expressed and implied warranty as to the same.

All information contained on this Web site is provided for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon as legal advice.

Neither the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office (hereinafter “DA’s Office”), nor any of its employees, makes any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the Web site or the information, services, or related graphics contained on the Web site for any purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the inaccuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information conveyed in this Web site. The DA’s Office expressly disclaims all legal liability based on any information contained on this Web site.

Nothing contained in this Web site is intended to constitute a promise, expressed or implied, by the DA’s Office to engage in any undertaking, including, but not limited to, a criminal investigation or prosecution. To the extent that pending criminal matters are discussed on this Web site, all such charges are merely accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The DA’s Office is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced. These links are provided as an information service only and the inclusion of any off-site links does not imply a recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

The materials on this Web site are copyrighted and therefore copying, reproduction or distribution of any part of this Web site is prohibited without the prior written consent of the DA’s Office, except for press releases that can be reproduced with proper credit to the Office. Downloading and printing of materials from this Web site is allowed for the personal use of visitors.

Indemnification
Any user of this Web site agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless DA’s Office and its employees and agents, and the DA’s Office Web site, its contributors, any entity jointly created by them, their respective affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, from and against all claims and expenses, including attorney’s fees, arising out of the use of the online service by the user in reference to any claim, however caused, and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability or tort (including negligence).