Benjamin Ari Greenwald

Benjamin A. Greenwald is a New York criminal defense attorney with more than 25 years of experience representing individuals accused of crimes. Since being admitted to the New York State Bar in 2001, he has personally handled more than 5,000 criminal matters, ranging from misdemeanors and DWI cases to complex felony prosecutions involving murder, violent crimes, sex offenses, firearms, narcotics, conspiracy, and other serious charges.

Throughout his career, Mr. Greenwald has devoted his practice to the defense of the accused. He has never worked as a prosecutor and has never represented the government in a criminal prosecution. His career has been spent standing beside people facing the power of the government, often at the most difficult point in their lives.

Mr. Greenwald is an experienced trial attorney who is willing to take cases to verdict when trial is in his client's best interests. Among his courtroom accomplishments, he is one of the relatively few criminal defense attorneys in the region to have successfully obtained a verdict based upon the insanity defense.

His practice also includes criminal appeals and post-conviction litigation. He has argued matters before New York appellate courts and represents clients in both state and federal criminal proceedings.

Mr. Greenwald is admitted to practice in New York State, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and all four federal district courts in New York: the Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts. He has also represented clients outside New York through pro hac vice admissions in several jurisdictions.

Based in Middletown, New York, Mr. Greenwald regularly represents clients throughout Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess and surrounding Hudson Valley counties, as well as in cases elsewhere in New York when the circumstances warrant.

His approach to criminal defense begins with a detailed examination of the evidence and the prosecution's theory of the case. That may include challenging searches and seizures, statements, identification evidence, forensic evidence, electronic data, witness credibility, or whether the prosecution can actually prove every element of the charged offense.

Mr. Greenwald believes that a criminal defense lawyer's job is not simply to process cases or persuade clients to accept plea offers. It is to investigate the case, identify weaknesses in the prosecution's evidence, explain the client's options candidly, negotiate from a position of strength, and be prepared to take the case to trial when necessary.