5. Kathleen Rice

Since toppling former District Attorney Denis Dillon three years ago, Rice has won her share of praise—and criticism. Her office got tough on DWI, drawing national attention by setting up a special division with aggressive policies to prosecute cases. Under her watch, the office has prosecuted the largest bust-up of corrupt employees in a town building department in county history and won a murder conviction for a fatal DWI accident. She has also reduced the number of plea bargains so that more cases have gone to trial than under her predecessor. Criminal defense attorneys have attacked Rice for many of her policies, but that has not deterred the tough-talking crime fighter who promised to protect the citizens when she took office. So far, she has made good on that promise.