About the DA

P. David Soares was born on October 26, 1969, in Brava, Cape Verde, an island off the coast of West Africa. He is the youngest of five children born to Lucas and Lidia Soares. When David was six years old, his family moved to the United States and settled in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where his father found a vocation as a carpenter, and his mother worked at the local mill.

From an early age, David's parents instilled in him the value of family, education, hard work, and active participation in the community. Although David grew up in a rough neighborhood, loving friends and a strong community of neighbors surrounded him, and were always eager to lend a hand. That foundation encouraged David to believe in the power of potential; the potential for anyone to do good things, if given the proper guidance.

After high school, David worked his way through Cornell University, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. After Cornell, David attended Albany Law School and received his law degree in 1999.

He also interned at the District Attorney's Office, where he eventually became an Assistant District Attorney and Albany County’s first Community Prosecutor. Having handled thousands of cases in Albany County City Courts as an Assistant District Attorney, David witnessed numerous failures of the criminal justice system first hand and decided to run for District Attorney.

On November 2, 2004, he was elected for his first term, and assumed office on January 1^st, 2005. He’s now serving his fifth term. Since taking office, David has continued to devote his energy to bringing "One Standard of Justice" to Albany County.