Peter Neufeld
Encyclopedia
Peter Neufeld is an American
lawyer and is most famous as a cofounder, with Barry Scheck
, of the Innocence Project
, located at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. With Scheck and Jim Dwyer he co-authored Actual Innocence; with Scheck and Taryn Simon
he co-authored The Innocents.
In 1995 and 2000, he was appointed to serve on the New York State Commission on Forensic Science by then-Governor George Pataki
. A partner in the law firm Cochran Neufeld & Scheck, he has represented Abner Louima
and others who claimed their civil rights were violated by the police or the government. He also served on the defense team for O.J. Simpson.
In May 2006, Earl Washington Jr., a client of Neufeld's, was awarded $2.25 million after suing the estate of a Virginia State Police investigator. The jury found that the investigator fabricated the confession that caused Washington to be sentenced to death for a 1982 rape and murder.
On March 2, 2009, Neufeld argued before the United States Supreme Court in District Attorney’s Office v. Osborne. The issues included whether criminal defendants have a post-conviction right to access DNA evidence and whether they can sue under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to vindicate that right.
J.D., 1975, New York University
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and is most famous as a cofounder, with Barry Scheck
Barry Scheck
Barry C. Scheck is an American lawyer. He received national media attention while serving on O.J. Simpson's defense team, winning an acquittal in the highly publicized murder case. Scheck is the director of the Innocence Project and a professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York...
, of the Innocence Project
Innocence Project
An Innocence Project is one of a number of non-profit legal organizations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand dedicated to proving the innocence of wrongly convicted people through the use of DNA testing, and to reforming the criminal justice systems to...
, located at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. With Scheck and Jim Dwyer he co-authored Actual Innocence; with Scheck and Taryn Simon
Taryn Simon
Taryn Simon is an American photographer. She is a graduate of Brown University and a Guggenheim Fellow. She was born in New York.Her photography and writing have been featured in numerous publications and broadcasts including the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, CNN, BBC, Frontline, and NPR...
he co-authored The Innocents.
In 1995 and 2000, he was appointed to serve on the New York State Commission on Forensic Science by then-Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
. A partner in the law firm Cochran Neufeld & Scheck, he has represented Abner Louima
Abner Louima
Abner Louima is a Haitian who was assaulted, brutalized and forcibly sodomized with the handle of a bathroom plunger by New York City police officers after being arrested outside a Brooklyn nightclub in 1997....
and others who claimed their civil rights were violated by the police or the government. He also served on the defense team for O.J. Simpson.
In May 2006, Earl Washington Jr., a client of Neufeld's, was awarded $2.25 million after suing the estate of a Virginia State Police investigator. The jury found that the investigator fabricated the confession that caused Washington to be sentenced to death for a 1982 rape and murder.
On March 2, 2009, Neufeld argued before the United States Supreme Court in District Attorney’s Office v. Osborne. The issues included whether criminal defendants have a post-conviction right to access DNA evidence and whether they can sue under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to vindicate that right.
Education
B.A., 1972, University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
J.D., 1975, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
External links
- Peter Neufeld
- Interview with PBS, December 4, 2002.
- Peter Neufeld. "The (Near) Irrelevance of Daubert to Criminal Justice and Some Suggestions for Reform." American Journal of Public Health, June 2005.
- Earl Washington Case Shows Reforms to Death Penalty, Criminal Cases Needed, Neufeld Says. An article based on a talk given by Neufeld at the University of Virginia law school.
- http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/oral-argument-recap-district-attorneys-office-v-osborne-08-6/#more-8879. Oral Argument Recap: District Attorney’s Office v. Osborne (08-6)