Bruce Cutler (born April 29, 1948) is an American

criminal defense In the field of criminal law, there are a variety of conditions that will tend to negate elements of a crime (particularly the ''intent'' element), known as defenses. The label may be apt in jurisdictions where the ''accused'' may be assigned some ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

best known for having defended John Gotti, and for media appearances as a legal commentator.

Life and career

Cutler's father, Murray Cutler, was a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

who later became a criminal defense attorney. While being interviewed on the radio program ''Conversations With Allan Wolper'' on WBGO 88.3 FM, Cutler said that he was inspired by his father's pro-labor, pro-union loyalties to an FDR-style Social Democratic position. Growing up in a Jewish family in Flatbush, he graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School. Formerly a Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney, Cutler gained notoriety in the 1980s when he won three acquittals for

Gambino Crime Family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. ...

boss John Gotti (including one where at least one juror accepted a bribe in return for voting to find Gotti not guilty). When Gotti was indicted in 1990 for the 1985 murder of Paul Castellano and several other crimes, presiding judge I. Leo Glasser disqualified Cutler and two associates from representing Gotti. Citing evidence from wiretaps at Gotti's Ravenite club, prosecutors contended that Cutler and his colleagues may have known about criminal activity. Since the

attorney–client privilege Attorney–client privilege or lawyer–client privilege is the common law doctrine of legal professional privilege in the United States. Attorney–client privilege is " client's right to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person fro ...

does not apply in these circumstances, prosecutors argued that Cutler was "part of the evidence" and thus liable to be called as a witness. They also argued that Cutler had represented other potential witnesses and thus had a conflict of interest. Glasser sided with the prosecutors, contending that Cutler was the "in-house counsel" for the Gambino family. Subsequent to his disqualification, Cutler was held in criminal contempt for public statements he made in violation of a court order. Cutler was sentenced to ninety days' house arrest, three years' probation, and an 180-day suspension from practicing law in the Eastern District of New York. On appeal to the Second Circuit, Cutler’s conviction was affirmed. Cutler appeared in the

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

and Ed Burns film, '' 15 Minutes'', playing himself. He also appeared on

Court TV Court TV is an American digital broadcast network and former pay-television channel. It was originally launched in 1991 with a focus on crime-themed programs such as true crime documentary series, legal analysis talk shows, and live news cover ...

, with attorney Ed Hayes, discussing criminal cases and current events on ''Cutler and Hayes'', and on the CW network has his own TV show, ''Jury Duty''. He also made two guest star appearances in the episodes "Drawing Dead" and "Open Secrets" of the 4th season of the CBS show '' Blue Bloods''. He is godfather to Hayes' daughter, Avery. Cutler is estranged from his family including his brother, sister, and his son. Cutler was the lead defense attorney for

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

Lawyers Bruce Cutler and Ed Hayes Star in Mafia Cops - The Biggest Mob Trial in Years
/ref> until August 27, 2007, when he announced that he was leaving Spector's defense due to "a difference of opinion between Mr. Spector and me on strategy."

References

External links

Bruce Cutler, Attorney at Law
* CW networ
''Jury Duty''
site * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Bruce 1948 births Living people New York (state) lawyers Hamilton College (New York) alumni Brooklyn Law School alumni American criminal defense lawyers Television judges People from Flatbush, Brooklyn Poly Prep alumni