Peter Rivera
Encyclopedia
Peter Rivera represents District 76 in the New York State Assembly
, which comprises West Farms
, Van Nest
, Castle Hill
and Parkchester
.
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
, he holds a degree in Business Administration from Pace College, 1968, and a J.D. from St. John's Law School
, 1974. The following year he was admitted to the Bar
.
Beginning his career as a patrolman and detective with the NYPD in the South Bronx
, Rivera then became an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration
. After graduating from law school he began to work as an Assistant District Attorney
in the Homicide Bureau of the Bronx District Attorney's Office. He has been in private law practice since 1978.
First elected to the Assembly in 1992, Rivera is the current Chairman of the New York Assembly's Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task force and Assembly Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities. He remains the highest-ranking self-described Latino officeholder within the State Assembly.
It has been revealed in a New York Daily News article that in the 2010 election he will face a primary challenge from Bronx lawyer Luis R. Sepulveda. [1]
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
, which comprises West Farms
West Farms, Bronx
West Farms is a residential neighborhood in a west central part of The Bronx, New York City, also known as the northeast corner of the South Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 6...
, Van Nest
Van Nest, Bronx
Van Nest is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the east Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting clockwise are as follows: Bronxdale Avenue to the northeast, the Amtrak tracks and part of...
, Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Bronx
Castle Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the South Central section of the borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
and Parkchester
Parkchester, Bronx
Parkchester is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the south central Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
.
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, he holds a degree in Business Administration from Pace College, 1968, and a J.D. from St. John's Law School
St. John's University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school in Queens, New York City, affiliated with St. John's University. The School of Law was founded in 1925, and confers Juris Doctor degrees and degrees for Master of Laws in Bankruptcy and Master of Laws in U.S. Studies. Over 13,000 St...
, 1974. The following year he was admitted to the Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
.
Beginning his career as a patrolman and detective with the NYPD in the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
, Rivera then became an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
. After graduating from law school he began to work as an Assistant District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in the Homicide Bureau of the Bronx District Attorney's Office. He has been in private law practice since 1978.
First elected to the Assembly in 1992, Rivera is the current Chairman of the New York Assembly's Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task force and Assembly Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities. He remains the highest-ranking self-described Latino officeholder within the State Assembly.
It has been revealed in a New York Daily News article that in the 2010 election he will face a primary challenge from Bronx lawyer Luis R. Sepulveda. [1]