Leslie Crocker Snyder
Encyclopedia
Leslie Crocker Snyder is an American
lawyer
and former judge
, most notable for her challenge of Robert Morgenthau in the Democratic Party
primary
for the Manhattan District Attorney election in 2005. Morgenthau did not seek re-election in 2009. Snyder ran again. Once again she finished second, this time losing to Cyrus Vance, Jr.
by a wide margin. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but has spent most of her life in New York City.
(now Harvard) and the Case Western Reserve University School of Law
on scholarship, Snyder was admitted to the Ohio
State Bar
in 1966 and the New York State Bar in 1967, Snyder has worked in the New York criminal justice system for over thirty-five years, both as a prosecutor
and as a judge. She was the first female to try felony
and homicide
cases as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan
District Attorney
's office under Frank Hogan
and Robert Morgenthau. During her nine years in the office, Snyder founded and led the Sex Crimes Prosecution Bureau, which was the first in the nation and co-authored New York State's Rape Shield Law
.
After leaving the New York County District Attorney's Office, Snyder was named the Chief of Trials at the Office of the Special Prosecutor against Corruption. She re-entered the public sector after three years as a defense attorney for indigent clients and became Deputy Criminal Justice Coordinator and Head of the Arson Strike Force at the Office of the New York City Criminal Justice Coordinator. Soon after, she was appointed to the position of a Judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York in 1983 by Mayor Ed Koch
. She was reappointed to the Criminal Court Judgeship by Mayor David Dinkins
in 1993
While serving as a Criminal Court Judge, Snyder was designated by the state courts administration to serve as an Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term. This is a common procedure done in New York in order to provide more judges to handle felony
criminal cases. It is easier to designate Acting Supreme Court Justices than to create more judgeships on the Supreme Court. Most Acting Justices come from either the New York City Criminal Court or Civil Court of the state Court of Claims bench. In June 2000, Judge Snyder was appointed by Gov. George Pataki
, and confirmed by the New York Senate to a seven year term on the New York Court of Claims
. While she was a Court of Claims Judge, Snyder continued to serve as an Acting Supreme Court Justice and continued to handle criminal cases in New York County, New York.
While on the bench, Snyder presided over such trials as those of the "Gheri Curls", the "Wild Cowboys", the "Young Talented Children" and the "Natural Born Killers", among others, including those of murderers, rapists, as well as many white-collar
, stock fraud
and mob
cases.
She resigned from the Court of Claims in 2004 in order to prepare for her run for District Attorney. Snyder is currently a partner at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP.
Boys and Girls Club, DARE
, Abraham House, Federal Drug Agents Foundation, and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
.
She has appeared on numerous television programs including 60 Minutes
, The Today Show, and The Charlie Rose Show. She has been featured on news, cable, and Court TV
programs regarding crime, drugs and drug gangs, rape, women and the law, criminal law, and law enforcement.
, a long supporter of Morgenthau, endorsed Snyder in its August 30, 2005 editorial, "When To End An Era", citing Snyder's "unquestioned ability and broad experience", "impressive energy", and "new ideas".
In 2008, Snyder renounced her support for the death penalty. She said she had done so after learning more about wrongful convictions in capital cases.
On February 27, 2009 the New York Post
reported that Morgenthau would not seek reelection. After the announcement, she, along with Cyrus Vance, Jr.
and Richard Aborn
announced their candidacy for the district attorney race. The New York Times
this time did not endorse Snyder but chose to endorse Cyrus Vance Jr., who won by a wide margin.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
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 former judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, most notable for her challenge of Robert Morgenthau in the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the Manhattan District Attorney election in 2005. Morgenthau did not seek re-election in 2009. Snyder ran again. Once again she finished second, this time losing to Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Cyrus Roberts Vance, Jr. is an American trial lawyer. He is the incumbent New York County District Attorney , and was previously a principal at the law firm of Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Isaon, Anello & Bohrer, P.C...
by a wide margin. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but has spent most of her life in New York City.
Legal career
After attending Radcliffe CollegeRadcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
(now Harvard) and the Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law is the law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1892, making it one of the oldest law schools in the country. It was one of the first schools accredited by the American Bar Association and was...
on scholarship, Snyder was admitted to the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
State Bar
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
in 1966 and the New York State Bar in 1967, Snyder has worked in the New York criminal justice system for over thirty-five years, both as a prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
and as a judge. She was the first female to try felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
and homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
cases as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's office under Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
and Robert Morgenthau. During her nine years in the office, Snyder founded and led the Sex Crimes Prosecution Bureau, which was the first in the nation and co-authored New York State's Rape Shield Law
Rape shield law
A rape shield law is a law that limits a defendant's ability to cross-examine rape complainants about their past sexual behaviour. The term also refers to a law that prohibits the publication of the identity of an alleged rape victim.-In Canada:...
.
After leaving the New York County District Attorney's Office, Snyder was named the Chief of Trials at the Office of the Special Prosecutor against Corruption. She re-entered the public sector after three years as a defense attorney for indigent clients and became Deputy Criminal Justice Coordinator and Head of the Arson Strike Force at the Office of the New York City Criminal Justice Coordinator. Soon after, she was appointed to the position of a Judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York in 1983 by Mayor Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
. She was reappointed to the Criminal Court Judgeship by Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
in 1993
While serving as a Criminal Court Judge, Snyder was designated by the state courts administration to serve as an Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term. This is a common procedure done in New York in order to provide more judges to handle felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
criminal cases. It is easier to designate Acting Supreme Court Justices than to create more judgeships on the Supreme Court. Most Acting Justices come from either the New York City Criminal Court or Civil Court of the state Court of Claims bench. In June 2000, Judge Snyder was appointed by Gov. 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 :...
, and confirmed by the New York Senate to a seven year term on the New York Court of Claims
New York Court of Claims
The New York State Court of Claims is the court which handles all claims against the State of New York and certain state agencies. It is not a small claims court. Judges of the Court of Claims are appointed by the Governor of New York and confirmed by the State Senate for a 9-year term...
. While she was a Court of Claims Judge, Snyder continued to serve as an Acting Supreme Court Justice and continued to handle criminal cases in New York County, New York.
While on the bench, Snyder presided over such trials as those of the "Gheri Curls", the "Wild Cowboys", the "Young Talented Children" and the "Natural Born Killers", among others, including those of murderers, rapists, as well as many white-collar
White-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
, stock fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and mob
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
cases.
She resigned from the Court of Claims in 2004 in order to prepare for her run for District Attorney. Snyder is currently a partner at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP.
Affiliations
Leslie Crocker Snyder is also a board member of the Kips BayKips Bay
Kips Bay is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Because there are no official boundaries for New York City neighborhoods, the limits of Kip's Bay are somewhat vague, but it is often considered to be the area between East 23rd Street and East 34th Street extending from...
Boys and Girls Club, DARE
Drug Abuse Resistance Education
Drug Abuse Resistance Education, better known as DARE, is an international education program that seeks to prevent use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. D.A.R.E., which has expanded globally since its founding in 1983, is a demand-side drug control strategy of the U.S....
, Abraham House, Federal Drug Agents Foundation, and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
.
Personal life
Snyder has been married to her husband for forty years; they have two grown children. She is the author of 25 to Life, a memoir of her legal experiences, both as a prosecutor and as a judge.She has appeared on numerous television programs including 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, The Today Show, and The Charlie Rose Show. She has been featured on news, cable, and Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
programs regarding crime, drugs and drug gangs, rape, women and the law, criminal law, and law enforcement.
Running for Manhattan District Attorney
In 2005, Snyder challenged incumbent District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in the Democratic Party primary for election to the position of Manhattan District Attorney. Snyder garnered 42% of the vote, while Morgenthau took 58%. Morgenthau was eventually elected to his ninth term. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, a long supporter of Morgenthau, endorsed Snyder in its August 30, 2005 editorial, "When To End An Era", citing Snyder's "unquestioned ability and broad experience", "impressive energy", and "new ideas".
In 2008, Snyder renounced her support for the death penalty. She said she had done so after learning more about wrongful convictions in capital cases.
On February 27, 2009 the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
reported that Morgenthau would not seek reelection. After the announcement, she, along with Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Cyrus Roberts Vance, Jr. is an American trial lawyer. He is the incumbent New York County District Attorney , and was previously a principal at the law firm of Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Isaon, Anello & Bohrer, P.C...
and Richard Aborn
Richard Aborn
Richard Aborn was a candidate for Manhattan district attorney while on leave from his position as the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, a partner in the law firm Constantine Cannon, and the managing director of Constantine & Aborn Advisory Services where he works with...
announced their candidacy for the district attorney race. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
this time did not endorse Snyder but chose to endorse Cyrus Vance Jr., who won by a wide margin.