CHENANGO COUNTY – Zachary Wentworth, Assistant Public Defender and Norwich resident has officially announced his candidacy for Chenango County District Attorney.

Wentworth grew up in the South Otselic-North Pitcher area, where his parents still live. He is a graduate of the Otselic Valley class of 2003.

He went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. From there, he went to Vermont Law School as he said it was known for its environmental program.

Wentworth admitted he found criminal and family law much more interesting and said he knew that being in a courtroom is what he wanted to do.

To become a lawyer, Wentworth explained the various internships that covered multiple areas of law.

In 2006, Wentworth interned with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) where he worked to help clean Onondaga Lake. Wentworth said he worked with the outreach committee and produced the annual report that was presented at the annual meeting.

“I worked with a lot of people and received a lot of input to produce a presentation that worked for everyone,” said Wentworth. “It was a collaborative effort.”

Wentworth described his internship between his first and second year of law school — the summer of 2008 — with the NYS Supreme Court with Judge Kevin Dowd.

“I saw a lot of cases with Judge Dowd,” said Wentworth. “I assisted with writing decisions and researching on both criminal and civil matters.”