“Just left @NYCBarAssn @QueensCountyBar D.A. screening,” Lancman said. “Purported gatekeepers for most diverse county in USA. About 40 lawyers. Every single one white. Not a person of color in room. Eyes roll when I discuss #racism in criminal justice system, no surprise. Hello @NYCBarDiversity!”

A spokesperson for Cabán attributed the rating to “political insiders who are desperate to preserve the status quo rather than bring real reform to the DA’s office and to the county.”

“Tiffany has spent her career as a public defender in daily contact with defendants, assistant district attorneys, law enforcement officers, court and correctional personnel, and judges,” spokesperson Monica Klein said. “She has a deep familiarity with the complexities of practice under New York’s Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law, as well as extensive work on carceral policy issues — unlike Melinda Katz, a career politician who hasn't spent a day in criminal court.”