- David Benowitz
-
David Benowitz Born May 4, 1969 [1]
Leonia, New Jersey[1]Nationality United States Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
George Washington University School of LawOccupation Attorney Employer Price Benowitz, LLP David Benowitz, born May 4, 1969, in Leonia, New Jersey,[1] is an American lawyer and has been partner of the law firm Price Benowitz since 2001, after serving as a public defender in the District of Columbia. Benowitz is a noted criminal defense and personal injury attorney who has made multiple appearances sharing his expertise with the national print and television media.
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Education and career
Benowitz graduated with honors from University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in History in 1991 and received his law degree from George Washington University School of Law in 1995.
After law school, Benowitz served as a public defender and staff attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
Launching his own firm in 2001, Benowitz is the only Washington, DC attorney certified by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification.[2]
Notable cases and legal issues
The first Benowitz case to receive media attention was his successful defense on another case of the woman against whom sportscaster Marv Albert was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery counts. The Washington Post in 1997 documented how Benowitz's client was accused of making phone threats, but that the prosecution dropped the case and the Superior Court judge dismissed the charges.[3]
In 1998, Benowitz again received media attention for his defense of Michael Renardo Thomas, a teenager who participated in a carjacking that involved stabbing a female victim multiple times and then locking her in the trunk of her burning car. Benowitz asked the court to sentence Thomas under Washington's Youth Act, which would allow for an earlier release from his sentence if he showed progress in jail. Benowitz described Thomas as "a tremendously disturbed young man who faces enormous issues in his life", but not a "malicious sociopath".[4]
The 2009 arrest of an illegal immigrant from El Salvador in the murder of federal intern Chandra Levy saw the Associated Press Worldstream news service seeking comment from Benowitz.[5] Benowitz stated that he would question the witnesses' motivation for cooperating with police and inquire about the circumstances under which they were interviewed.
In 2010, various police departments were coming under fire for faulty and improperly calibrated blood alcohol content measurement devices under the trade name "Intoxilizer 5000".[6] Benowitz was frequently called upon by the media to explain the legal aspects of this problem.[7]
In July 2011, Benowitz appeared with Chuck Todd on The Daily Rundown (MSNBC) to speak at length about the sentencing phase of the Casey Anthony trial, noting now "notoriously difficult" probation is in the state of Florida.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "David Benowitz: LinkedIn". LinkedIn. http://www.linkedin.com/in/criminallawdc. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ "Find a board certified lawyer". National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. http://www.nblsc.us/index.php?section=find_board_certified_lawyers&category_id=2&state=DC&city=&zip=&first_name=&middle=&last_name=&search=%C2%A0. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ "Phone Threat Charges Dismissed". The Washington Post. 4 July 1997. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-739158.html. Retrieved 9 August 2011. "D.C. Superior Court Judge Stephen G. Milliken dismissed the misdemeanor charges against the 42-year-old woman on Wednesday at the request of prosecutors. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office would not say why they dropped the case. The woman, whom The Post is not identifying because she is the victim of an alleged sexual assault, "is thrilled," said her D.C. lawyer David Benowitz..."
- ^ "Teen Gets Long Sentence In Carjacking, Stabbing; Victim Locked in Trunk, Vehicle Set Afire". The Washington Post. 13 May 1998. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-657113.html. Retrieved 9 August 2011. "Defense attorneys asked Burgess to sentence Thomas under the city's Youth Act, which would permit earlier release if Thomas turns his life around. They described him as "treatable." "Mr. Thomas is not, as the government would have you believe, a malicious sociopath. He's a tremendously disturbed young man who faces enormous issues in his life," said defense attorney David Benowitz."
- ^ "Lawyers question evidence in Levy case". AP Worldstream. 11 April 2009. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D97GEVGO0.html. Retrieved 9 August 2011. ""It's long on witnesses and short on direct evidence that Guandique had anything to do with this," said David Benowitz, a criminal defense attorney who once worked as a public defender in the District of Columbia."
- ^ "Failure to calibrate breathalyzer causes "black eye" for Galena Police Department". KOAM-TV. 13 January 2010. http://www.koamtv.com/story/11823069/failure-to-calibrate-breathalyzer-causes-black-eye-for-galena-police-department?redirected=true. Retrieved 9 August 2011. ""We used to have the (Intoxilyzer) 5000, we have the 8000, which is a newer instrument, which is a good instrument, but you still have to do your proper procedures," Delmont explains. One important procedure is calibration."
- ^ "Some DUI Cases in Danger of Being Thrown Out". WTTG. 26 February 2010. http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/some-dui-cases-in-danger-of-being-thrown-out-022610. Retrieved 9 August 2011. ""I wasn't surprised. For years myself and other people who do DUI cases have requested info from police on the way they maintain these machines, calibrate and test them," says attorney David Benowitz. Benowitz says one of his clients who was arrested more than a year ago, had some of his charges dropped earlier this week because one of the machines was used in his case. Benowitz says his client may have been the first, but definitely won't be the last. "I think this is going to open up a flood gate of appeals motions for new trials. There are people convicted who did jail time on what appeared to be flawed scores.""
- ^ "U.S. News: Casey Anthony Sentence". Newsy.com. 7 July 2011. http://www.newsy.com/videos/casey-anthony-to-be-freed-next-week/. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
External links
Categories:- University of Pennsylvania alumni
- George Washington University Law School alumni
- Washington, D.C. lawyers
- 1969 births
- Living people
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