Oscar Michelen: Trial Lawyer, Law Professor & Wrongful Conviction Attorney

07/01/2025

Excited to announce the launching of my solo practice Michelen Law, P.C. focusing on Wrongful Conviction and Civil Rights Litigation. I've been blessed to have had nearly 40 years of a successful career in a variety of litigation and can now focus exclusively on wrongful convictions and protecting the civil rights of all people - especially needed in these dark times. Even better, I am staying in the same physical space and my ride-or-die partner in life Christine Michelen has agreed to be the firm office manager!

10/11/2024

Great report from investigative journalist Sarah Wallace of NBC News on the $20MM settlement of Andy Krivak's case against Putnam County and their DA's Office.

History has been made in Putnam County with the largest civil settlement ever in a wrongful conviction case. News 4 New York's Sarah Wallace reports.

05/02/2024

Great press coverage from NBC News and Sarah Wallace about our latest hearing to overturn the wrongful conviction of Ronald Plaza in the Bronx .

News 4’s Sarah Wallace reports for the I-Team.

04/09/2024

This April 16 at the Suffolk Bar we will be presenting a great informative program on Wrongful Conviction Units with Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez, Charles Linehan the Kings County Conviction Review Unit and two men exonerated by the unit - Emel McDowell and David McCallum. Please join us for lawyers and non lawyers though lawyers will get continuing education credit.

03/15/2024

Great report from Sarah Wallace about my client Ronald Plaza's fight to prove his innocence. I was in federal court fighting another case when my co-counsel, Mark Bederow faced off against one of the two main officers involved in Ronald's case. For years, my client has been trying to prove that there was surveillance video that would have captured that he did not commit the assault he was charged with. We now know that the video did in fact exist but somehow was never turned over to the defense. The sad part is by the time this hearing is decided Ron will likely have already spent all the time of his ten year sentence. Nevertheless even if that happens the fight will go on to clear his name.

When Bronx prosecutors presented their assault case against Ronald Plaza to a jury in 2015, they showed two videos. The videos only revealed a fight between two females in a parking garage. By all accounts, the male victim was slashed and stabbed on the street in front of a nightclub. By all account...

03/13/2024

Got to meet my latest wrongful conviction client Michael Cobb yesterday at Greenhaven Correctional Facility. This is our "Click Click" from the meeting yesterday with his current lawyer Matt Segal and Danielle Leaf, who volunteers as a paralegal on these cases with me. Michael has served 31 years of a 41 year-Life sentence for a murder we believe he did not commit. We are in the midst of our investigation but already have many leads that we feel could be the key to his freedom.

02/27/2024

Happy Freedomversary to our client Andrew Krivak Jr. One year ago today a jury finally exonerated him for a 1994 r**e and murder he did not commit. Andy was locked up from July 1 1996, until February 27, 2023, first in Putnam County Jail, then NY State prisons until October 2021, then a strict home confinement until one year ago today. My co-counsel Karen Newirth and I spent 7 weeks in Putnam County trying the case away from our family and homes and the jury took less than 6 hours to acquit Andy. One juror told us afterward "Thank you for being the only ones bringing truth to the courtroom" The jury quickly saw through the misconduct and manipulation of the Putnam County Sheriff's Dept and Putnam County DA as their neglect, incompetence, and malice allowed Andy and his co-defendant Anthony DiPippo to be falsely arrested prosecuted and wrongfully imprisoned. Even during the course of Andy's re-trial, the court found that Putnam County District Attorney Bob Tendy and his right hand man ADA Larry Glasser violated discovery orders and withheld exculpatory evidence. Meanwhile a serial pe*****le was allowed to operate freely within their jurisdiction. Congratulations on your long awaited vindication Andy! May you live a long and blessed life going forward!!

02/13/2024

Finally got to post about a great Christmas gift my wife got me: a T-Shirt and a plaque with the names of the men I have had the privilege of exonerating over the past 18 years. I hung the plaque above the door in my office so that their cases, efforts and struggles are always at the top of my mind. Angelo and Willie are no longer with us; the others are like family to me and I cherish being part of their lives as free men. Currently working on about 6 other cases so hopefully soon some names will have to be added to this list.

01/20/2024

This Thursday was a whirlwind day for the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association. In the morning, I attended Gov. Hochul's first budget rollout speech at Kings Park HS. Afterwards, thanks to the efforts of our past president Veronica Renta Irwin, LIHBA was asked to meet with Gov. Hochul to discuss Latino issues on Long Island. Veronica and I were joined by LIHBA president-elect Maribel Gomez and we brought with us the heads of four amazing Latino not for profits that LIHBA coordinates with regularly to assist our community in Nassau and Suffolk.: Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association; Circulo De Hispanidad; Organizacion de Latinos Americanos de Eastern Long Island and Housing Help, Inc. Along with the Governor's Latino outreach staff and NY Sec'y of State Roberto Rodriguez we had an informed and productive discussion with Gov. Hochul that we hope is the first of many such opportunities for dialogue. That night, LIHBA did what we do best - party and serve our community at the same time! At our annual Holiday Party at The Cuban we collected two truckloads of new and gently used coats for needy families on Long Island! So proud to be President of this great organization that does so much for Latino lawyers, law students and families on Long Island!

01/04/2024

Coming up on January 25 2024 I have been asked to speak about voting rights with the National Council of Jewish Women. I've made this presentation before with Judge Linda Mejias and I have since updated it to cover the recent attacks on voting rights occurring across the country. Founded in 1893, NCJW has over 210,000 members and is very active here on Long Island. Looking forward to an insightful discussion.

12/13/2023

Innocent after Lock-Up's episode on Cal Buari will air on 12/22 at 1030PM on WETV !!

12/12/2023

Watch this Friday 12/12/on WE TV Innocent After Lock Up a three-part series at 1030PM Eastern My exonerated client Cal Buari will be featured

Their freedom was stolen, will their lives ever be the same? Love After Lockup Presents: Innocent After Lockup, the 3-part series, premieres December 15 at 1...