Criminal Defense

The Firm’s criminal defense practice, led by Earl S. Ward, represents clients in all areas of criminal and investigatory defense. Earl has 30 years of experience representing defendants in federal and state court facing a range of felony charges, from DWI to first-degree murder. The Firm also represents white-collar defendants, including individuals and entities facing state and federal criminal investigations, FINRA arbitration, and other regulatory investigations or prosecutions. In addition, the Firm has helped criminal defendants prove their innocence through Section 440 post-conviction petitions in New York (for more on this work, click here).

Representative Cases:

  • Following a lengthy trial, ECBAWM secured an acquittal of murder and conviction of manslaughter for a woman accused of first-degree murder in the killing her autistic son. Read the New York Times’ coverage of New York v. Gigi Jordan here.
  • ECBAWM successfully defended against investigations by the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ office of a high-level executive of a federal government agency overseeing a multi-billion-dollar portfolio.
  • ECBAWM won an acquittal for a nurse’s aide accused of murdering her husband. Presenting a self-defense claim, she was acquitted after testifying about the years of abuse she had suffered at his hands, including on the night of his death. Read the New York Daily News’ coverage of New York v. Donna Cobb  trial here.
  • ECBAWM has represented numerous defendants facing prosecution for exercising their First Amendment rights to publicly protest government policies. For example, Earl Ward, working with civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, secured acquittals for 18 elderly women who were handcuffed and jailed after protesting in front of a military recruitment center in Times Square. Read the New York Times’ coverage of the acquittals here.
.