Robert Reuland
Encyclopedia
Robert Charles Reuland is an American attorney
and author. He commenced his legal career in 1990 in the litigation department of the Wall Street law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts. In 1996 he joined the Office of the District Attorney for King's County, Brooklyn, New York, where he served as Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Homicide Bureau.
Since 2000 he has had a parallel career as a novelist. He is the author of three novels: Hollowpoint (Random House 2001), which was nominated for a Dashiell Hammett
Award in 2002, Semiautomatic (Random House 2004), and Represent, which appeared as an ebook in 2011. All three books are set in the Brooklyn D.A.’s Office, where Reuland was an assistant district attorney assigned to the Homicide Bureau. Reuland’s hard-edged but elegant writing is known for its gritty realism
and has drawn praise from Dennis Lehane
, Alan Furst
, George Pelecanos
, and James Patterson
. A reviewer for the Washington Post referred to Semiautomatic as “the best-written legal thriller I’ve ever read, hands down.”
In 2011, Reuland published "The Convict Maiden," an historical novel set in the penal colony of New South Wales in 1827.
Reuland gained additional national notoriety in 2001 when fired from his position in the Brooklyn D.A.’s office shortly after the publication of his first book. In an interview with New York Magazine, Reuland observed that Brooklyn had “more bodies per square inch than anyplace else,” which angered Brooklyn District Attorney, Charles J. Hynes. Hynes demoted then fired Reuland, who brought a federal lawsuit claiming infringement of his First Amendment
rights. Reuland prevailed after trial in 2004.
Upon leaving the D.A.'s Office in 2001, Reuland established himself in private practice specializing in state and federal criminal defense. As a member of the Homicide Panel of the Mayor's Assigned Counsel Program, he represents indigent or poor persons accused of homicide or other serious felonies. Reuland is the first criminal defense attorney ever to successfully assert alibi defense to a felony charge based upon his client's use of Facebook
at the time of the crime.
Born in Dallas, Texas
and raised in Dubuque, Iowa
, Reuland has lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn for nearly twenty years. He is married to Christine Abbate, a public relations executive, and they have two children.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and author. He commenced his legal career in 1990 in the litigation department of the Wall Street law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts. In 1996 he joined the Office of the District Attorney for King's County, Brooklyn, New York, where he served as Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Homicide Bureau.
Since 2000 he has had a parallel career as a novelist. He is the author of three novels: Hollowpoint (Random House 2001), which was nominated for a Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
Award in 2002, Semiautomatic (Random House 2004), and Represent, which appeared as an ebook in 2011. All three books are set in the Brooklyn D.A.’s Office, where Reuland was an assistant district attorney assigned to the Homicide Bureau. Reuland’s hard-edged but elegant writing is known for its gritty realism
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
and has drawn praise from Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane is an American author. He has written several award-winning novels, including A Drink Before the War and the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film. Another novel, Gone, Baby, Gone, was also adapted into an Academy...
, Alan Furst
Alan Furst
Alan Furst is an American author of historical spy novels set just prior to and during the Second World War.-Biography:...
, George Pelecanos
George Pelecanos
George P. Pelecanos is a Greek-American author. Many of his works are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He is also a film and television producer and a television writer...
, and James Patterson
James Patterson
James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
. A reviewer for the Washington Post referred to Semiautomatic as “the best-written legal thriller I’ve ever read, hands down.”
In 2011, Reuland published "The Convict Maiden," an historical novel set in the penal colony of New South Wales in 1827.
Reuland gained additional national notoriety in 2001 when fired from his position in the Brooklyn D.A.’s office shortly after the publication of his first book. In an interview with New York Magazine, Reuland observed that Brooklyn had “more bodies per square inch than anyplace else,” which angered Brooklyn District Attorney, Charles J. Hynes. Hynes demoted then fired Reuland, who brought a federal lawsuit claiming infringement of his First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights. Reuland prevailed after trial in 2004.
Upon leaving the D.A.'s Office in 2001, Reuland established himself in private practice specializing in state and federal criminal defense. As a member of the Homicide Panel of the Mayor's Assigned Counsel Program, he represents indigent or poor persons accused of homicide or other serious felonies. Reuland is the first criminal defense attorney ever to successfully assert alibi defense to a felony charge based upon his client's use of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
at the time of the crime.
Born in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and raised in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, Reuland has lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn for nearly twenty years. He is married to Christine Abbate, a public relations executive, and they have two children.
External links
- Author Website
- Law Firm Website
- Martindale listing
- New York Times Review of "Hollowpoint"
- "A Crime-Writing Prosecutor Finds Success and Loses Job" New York Times
- New York Times Public Lives
- "End of Book Battle for District Attorney" New York Times
- "Writing Off a Career" Village Voice
- "Facebook Status Update Provides Alibi" CNN