| Benjamin Brafman | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 21, 1948 [1] Brooklyn, New York[1] |
| Residence | Lawrence, New York |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College Ohio Northern Law School (J.D.) New York University School of Law (LL.M.) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Religion | Jewish[2] |
| Website | |
| www.brafmanandrosspc.com | |
Benjamin "Ben" Brafman (born July 21, 1948)[1] is a criminal defense attorney based in New York. He maintains a firm focused on criminal defense, Brafman Associates, in New York City and has handled cases for clients including Jacob Arabo, James Patino, Peter Gatien, Plaxico Burress, Michael Jackson,[2][3] Carl Kruger[4], Charles Kushner,[5], Marvell Scott, Rocco Murdocca ("The gut plumber of Brooklyn"), Vincent Basciano, Sean Combs, Jay-Z and Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
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Brafman's profile rose following his winning the acquittal of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who was acquitted from his 1999 illegal weapons and bribery charges. The criminal charges stemmed from a nightclub brawl, while accompanied by then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and Combs' usual entourage, and witnessed by over 100 other people. Despite the numerous prosecution witnesses to Combs' culpability, and Combs' fame, Brafman's legal skills produced a unanimous 'not guilty' verdict.[1][6][7][8]
Brafman also represented Jay-Z when the rapper was accused of assaulting record producer Lance "Un" Rivera at New York's Kit Kat club in December 1999. Jay-Z pleaded guilty as part of a deal, and was given three years of probation.[9] In 2002, Jay-Z referenced Brafman in his featured appearance on Cam'ron's "Welcome to New York City".
On November 30, 2008, Brafman was hired to represent NFL star Plaxico Burress who on August 3, 2009 was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment.[10][11] Burress pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to two years in prison.[12]
In 2011, Brafman represented former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a sexual assault case involving a member of the housekeeping staff of an upscale New York City hotel. Brafman and Strauss-Kahn's other lawyer, William W. Taylor, III, of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP,[13] gained first a recommendation that charges be dropped from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, and then charges dropped by New York State Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus.[14]
Brafman's family fled from Europe to Cuba on their way to the United States just before World War II. He received an ultra-Orthodox education.[15] Brafman is a practicing Orthodox Jew.[16] He is a graduate of Brooklyn College and Ohio Northern University College of Law. [2] He also has an LL.M. from New York University School of Law. He lives in Lawrence, New York.
Brafman's brother, Rabbi Aaron Brafman, is the Menahel of Yeshiva of Far Rockaway.
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