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Karen Friedman Agnifilo

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"Agnifilo" redirects here. For the Italian cardinal, see Amico Agnifilo.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo (née Friedman) is an American attorney and legal commentator. She is a partner at Agnifilo Intrater LLP who previously served as Chief Assistant District Attorney under Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.[1][2] Friedman Agnifilo is a frequent media analyst[3][4][5][6] and co-hosts a popular legal podcast called MissTrial.[7][8][9][10][11]

Education

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Karen Friedman Agnifilo earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1988 and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992.[12][13]

Career

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Public service

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Friedman Agnifilo spent the majority of her career in public service in New York City's criminal justice system. She worked in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for over two decades, holding several senior roles. From 2014 to 2021, she served as Chief Assistant District Attorney, the second-highest position in the office. In this role, she oversaw more than 500 attorneys and played a significant role in high-profile cases, including the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein.[14][11][12][15][11][12][16]

During her tenure, Friedman Agnifilo was instrumental in establishing specialized units, including the Human Trafficking Unit, Hate Crimes Unit, Antiquities Trafficking Unit, and Cybercrimes and Identity Theft Bureau. She also helped develop Manhattan's first Mental Health Court, focusing on addressing underlying mental health issues in criminal cases.[11][17]

Friedman Agnifilo resigned from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in 2021, coinciding with District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s decision not to seek re-election as DA. [10]

General Counsel to the Mayor's Office

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Before her role as Chief Assistant District Attorney, Friedman Agnifilo served as General Counsel to the New York City Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice during Michael Bloomberg's administration. She played a pivotal role in overhauling the city's criminal justice policies, focusing on reforms that addressed systemic issues.[12]

Private practice

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Since 2021, Friedman Agnifilo has been in private practice. Until 2024 she was with Geragos Global, and since 2023 she has been partner then of counsel at Agnifilo Intrater LLP. Her work focuses on defending clients in state and federal criminal cases.[11][18][19][20]

Luigi Mangione defense

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In December 2024, Friedman Agnifilo was retained to defend Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Friedman Agnifilo publicly criticized the handling of Mangione's extradition and arraignment, alleging it was heavily politicized and undermined her client's right to a fair trial.[10][12][18] She referred to the extradition process as "the biggest staged perp walk I've ever seen in my career" and accused New York City officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, of using the case for political purposes.[18][21]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn case

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In 2011, Friedman Agnifilo faced a unique professional challenge when her husband, Marc A. Agnifilo, was hired as part of the defense team for International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had been arrested on charges of sexual assault. At the time, Friedman Agnifilo was serving as the chief of the trial division in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which was prosecuting the case. Due to the conflict of interest, she recused herself from the case. Her recusal, was noted as a significant loss to the prosecution's team because of her background as a former deputy chief of the sex crimes unit.[2] Friedman Agnifilo had to recuse herself around 20 other times to avoid conflicts of interest in cases that Marc was involved with.[2]

The Strauss-Kahn case was a major example of the complexities of Friedman Agnifilo's and her husband's personal and professional lives, as her role as a prosecutor and his role as a defense attorney often required them to avoid discussing legal matters to maintain ethical boundaries.[2][22]

Media and public commentary

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Friedman Agnifilo is a frequent legal analyst on television networks, including CNN and MSNBC, providing insights on criminal law and high-profile cases.[11] She also serves as a legal advisor for the television show Law & Order. Additionally, she co-hosts a weekly legal podcast and YouTube channel called MissTrial on the MeidasTouch network with E. Danya Perry and Kathleen Rice, which regularly draws hundreds of thousands of listeners.[11]

Personal life

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Friedman Agnifilo is married to defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, noted for representing Sean Combs and Dominique Strauss-Kahn in their trials for sex crimes,[23][24][25] and pharmaceutical CEO, "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli, and NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere.[26] They married in 1996 after meeting in the Manhattan DA's office.[2] During her tenure as Chief Assistant District Attorney, Friedman Agnifilo had to recuse herself around 20 times to avoid conflicts of interest in cases that Marc was involved with.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Crane-Newman, Molly; Brown, Stephen Rex (December 12, 2020). "Manhattan DA Cy Vance's top aide resigns in latest sign he won't run for re-election in 2021". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Eligon, John (June 19, 2011). "For a Couple, Strauss-Kahn Is a Case for Silence". New York Times.
  3. ^ Mwachiro, Mark (April 4, 2023). "CNN Names Karen Friedman Agnifilo On-Air Legal Analyst". Adweek. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "A legal 'Hail Mary': Legal expert calls it 'incredibly risky' for Trump official to try moving to federal court - Raw Story". www.rawstory.com. August 28, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Plummer, Kate (February 15, 2024). "Fani Willis hearing is "ridiculous double standard"—Attorney". Newsweek. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Charalambous, Peter (March 11, 2024). "Attorneys face unprecedented challenge in selecting jury for Trump's hush money trial". ABC News. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Youngman, Sam (April 12, 2024). "'All Systems Go:' Meet the Legal Analyst Guiding America Through the Trump Trial". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  8. ^ Dillon, Nancy (February 25, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Manhattan DA's top deputy Karen Agnifilo lands at law firm Geragos Global". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Campanile, Carl; Feuerherd, Ben; Marsh, Julia; Sheehy, Kate (October 29, 2021). "Legal experts weigh in on Andrew Cuomo grope case". New York Post. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Ramey, Corinne; Fanelli, James (December 19, 2024). "Meet the Legal Insider Defending Luigi Mangione". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Cobham, Tara (December 16, 2024). "Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained". The Independent. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e Katersky, Aaron; Pezenik, Sasha; Margolin, Josh; Haworth, Jon (December 14, 2024). "UnitedHealthcare CEO killing: Who is Mangione's 'veteran' New York lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo?". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "Karen Friedman Agnifilo". Concordia. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Patten, Dominic; Hipes, Patrick (October 10, 2017). "Manhattan D.A.'s Office Says It Would Have Prosecuted Harvey Weinstein Case In 2015 If Not For NYPD Snafu". Deadline. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "Harvey Weinstein: Prosecutors defend lack of action". BBC News. October 11, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Freifeld, Karen (May 18, 2011). "Prosecutor Disqualifies Herself From Strauss-Kahn Case". Bloomberg.
  17. ^ Gross, Elana Lyn (October 2, 2018). "How The Manhattan District Attorney's Office Is Helping Victims Of Workplace Sexual Violence". Forbes. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Gans, Jared (December 23, 2024). "Luigi Mangione's lawyer blasts New York officials for 'staged' perp walk". The Hill. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Dillon, Nancy (February 25, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Manhattan DA's top deputy Karen Agnifilo lands at law firm Geragos Global". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  20. ^ "Karen Friedman Agnifilo". Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  21. ^ Katersky, Aaron; Murphy, T. Michelle; Charalambous, Peter; Hutchinson, Bill (December 23, 2024). "Luigi Mangione's attorney blasts police, mayor for using the accused CEO killer as 'political fodder'". ABC News. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Martin, Adam (September 19, 2020). "Lawyers on Opposite Sides of DSK Case, Dinner Table - The Atlantic". web.archive.org. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Clark, Sophie (September 17, 2024). "Who is Marc Agnifilo? Lawyer for Sean 'Diddy' Combs amid arrest". Newsweek. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  24. ^ Bradley, Faye (December 17, 2024). "Meet Luigi Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo – who's married to Diddy's attorney: Marc Agnifilo's wife has been retained over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson". South China Morning Post. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Pringle, Eleanor (December 16, 2024). "Luigi Mangione hires top lawyer—whose husband is representing Sean 'Diddy' Combs". Fortune. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  26. ^ Baxter, Brian (September 18, 2024). "Sean 'Diddy' Combs Counts on 'Pharma Bro' Lawyer for His Defense". Bloomberg Law. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
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