Sapone & Petrillo, LLP Acts Swiftly To Meet The Rapidly-Changing Times

We are adapting to a new reality with the continued threat and spread of COVID-19 and the measures being taken to help curb the spread of the virus to keep us safe while we work to help our clients.

We are working hard to utilize the Bail Reform Act to secure the release of many of our clients currently housed at New York’s MCC and MDC, and at prisons across the U.S. See 18 U.S.C. §3142(i)(permitting release for “compelling reason.”)

On April 27th, Mr. Sapone served on a panel of leading federal practitioners educating hundreds of lawyers on how to gain bail and compassionate release for inmates exposed to COVID-19. Materials for SDNY & EDNY Bail Applications During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Where Do We Stand As May Approaches? can be found here.

Then, on May 26th, Mr. Sapone served as a guest lecturer to hundreds of federal criminal defense lawyers on the hot topic of remote jury trials. We are concerned that defendants will not receive due process if they are forced into Zoom trials. In his lecture, Remote Criminal Jury Trials: Avoiding the Slippery Slope, Mr. Sapone describes the critical stages of federal and state cases which are already being done remotely. He then takes the audience down the slippery slope leading to the prospect of remote criminal jury trials while educating on the dangers posed -- including the effects on defendants' constitutional rights to confrontation and the effective assistance of counsel—and passionately arguing against remote trials.

As these battles rage, another group of our clients, police officers, are battling investigations and prosecutions stemming from actions taken in the line of duty. As unpopular as these cases are in today’s climate we remain dedicated to zealously and effectively defending them as we do every client. We are defenders who do not shrink in the face of a challenge, no matter how daunting it may seem. We believe that all people deserve due process and equal treatment under the law. Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt each legal element of any crime alleged. Mr. Petrillo has spent his entire career defending police officers as he has gained acquittals in some of the most newsworthy cases in the community. (articles).

Whether our clients are confronted by a justice system bent on incarcerating them during the worst public health crisis of our lifetime or by unfavorable portrayals in the court of public opinion, Sapone & Petrillo, LLP remains dedicated to protecting them.

Edward V. Sapone, Esq.

Edward V. Sapone is an experienced litigator who successfully defends clients in federal courts across the United States. He is focused on federal litigation and white collar prosecutions of all kinds with some of the most common involving health care and securities fraud and public corruption. He has won acquittals after trial and dismissals of indictments in a wide variety of cases. Mr. Sapone is a frequent lecturer on white collar crime, federal practice and trial techniques.

William S. Petrillo, Esq.

William S. Petrillo is an experienced trial attorney who has represented a wide variety of clients in many different types of cases and has procured acquittals in many complex cases, including high profile trials. He is often referred cases from other attorneys that are trial ready and is routinely consulted by members of the legal community to advise on trial issues. Mr. Petrillo is also consistently retained by law firms as a consultant to assist their trial attorneys.

FEDERAL AND STATE CRIMINAL CASES

Defending against large-scale DOJ grand jury and SEC investigations and complex criminal cases. We represent large corporations and individuals of all types and in all industries, including the financial, health care, political and law enforcement industries.
The Nation's Top LEGAL EXCELLENCE

As leaders of the criminal defense bar, we continuously look for ways to champion new causes to improve the criminal justice system and help criminal defendants.

Top Rated Attorneys in New York

Maintaining the highest level of professionalism and integrity, our commitment is to protecting the client and achieving extraordinary results through intelligent and die-hard advocacy. Our mission is to protect our clients while providing them with their strongest defense to achieve the best possible results. The firm is made up by a team of experienced, dedicated and skilled attorneys and support staff. Every member of the firm works to support the firm's principals who have a wealth of experience and a career of significant legal victories.
Top 100 National Trial Lawyers

The Firm has repeatedly gained acquittals after trial and dismissals of voluminous indictments ranging from federal and state court fraud and tax prosecutions to narcotics trafficking, murder, money laundering, vehicular crimes and a wide array of various crimes. They have also protected clients from the loss of tens of million dollars from forfeiture actions.