About Harold C. Baker
Harold C. Baker is one of the top Criminal Defense Attorneys in New York City with over 30 years of experience both as an assistant district attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and as a tireless criminal defense attorney, and civil rights attorney, throughout NYC and its surrounding jurisdictions. His office is conveniently located in downtown Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. Baker is a native New Yorker, son of a retired Lieutenant in the FDNY and grand nephew of Edward “Bud” Baker, a former Kings County Supreme Court Justice and Staten Island Borough President.
Mr. Baker received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University-Livingston College in 1987 and a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1992.
After receiving his law degree, Mr. Baker followed his and his family’s deeply ingrained passion for public service to accept a position as an assistant district attorney (ADA) in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.
Working his way to Senior Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Baker tired numerous cases involving serious felony charges including Murder, Rape, Robbery, Burglary, Narcotics and Assault to name a few. Mr. Baker had a nearly 90% conviction rate of the cases he tried to verdict as an ADA.
After 5 and ½ years of working at one of the nation’s highest volume prosecutor’s offices, Mr. Baker joined Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy and Bach, LLP, a prestigious medical malpractice defense firm. For over two years, Mr. Baker worked defending doctors and hospitals against complex malpractice lawsuits.
His love for the criminal law and his desire for independence lead Mr. Baker to strike out on his own in 2000 when he established the law firm Harold C. Baker, Esq. Since that time, Harold Baker has helped thousands of people fight the awesome powers of the prosecutors, successfully defending the accused in a system that can easily destroy the lives of anyone who does not receive dedicated, experienced and determined representation.
Many of Mr. Baker’s clients have had the unparalleled joy of walking out of a court room free men or women upon their acquittal by juries. Their freedom owed to Mr. Baker’s tenacious and uncompromising defense. Mr. Baker has defended thousands of complex cases and tried numerous cases to verdict, with an approximately 80% acquittal rate. He has also obtained favorable results in hundreds of other cases that never went to trial.
In 2008, Harold Baker expanded the practice to include the prosecution of civil rights claims. Since then, he has obtained many lucrative settlements for clients whose civil rights were violated including a multi-million-dollar settlement in 2015 on behalf of Roger Logan; a man wrongly-jailed for 17 years for a murder he did not commit.
Mr. Baker makes each case his own and fights as if his own life depended on the outcome. His philosophy for victory is simple: never give in and never give up until achieving the best possible result for all of his clients.
Mr. Baker is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, The New York Bar Association, The Kings County Criminal Bar Association, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is also a proud Eagle Scout.
Bar Admissions: New York and New Jersey, Southern and Eastern Districts of Federal Court, New York
Areas Of Expertise
A conviction for Murder carries a possible life sentence. A conviction for Assault in the First Degree carries a sentence of up to twenty five years in prison. When facing such serious charges, you want the most experienced, dedicated and tireless professional on your side. Harold Baker has extensive experience in handling murder and other violent crimes both as a prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and as a defense attorney. Harold Baker’s tenacious and relentless approach to defense has secured acquittals on numerous homicide and assault cases. The key to winning these cases is a prompt, thorough investigation, careful analysis of police reports, medical records, autopsy reports, DNA evidence etc. Harold Baker personally investigates all of his cases, including searching for and interviewing any and all witnesses, visiting and photographing the crime scenes, personally inspecting all evidence and considering all applicable defense strategies including for example: mistaken identity, self defense, frame etc.
A conviction for Driving While Intoxicated or While Impaired carries many serious repercussions, especially for repeat offenders or for commercial drivers. Jail time, loss of license, heavy fines and completion of drunk driver programs are all possible sentences for these offenses and every jurisdiction is cracking down. Accidents involving property damage, injury or death that result from drunk driving can further complicate these cases. Harold Baker has the skill and experience to deal with any type of DWI case and has consistently achieved success for his clients in fighting these charges.
Recently, law enforcement has cracked down significantly on “white collar crimes,” making sweeping arrests in cases involving Insurance fraud, unemployment insurance fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, identity theft, credit card scams, internet scams etc. These crimes can carry significant jail sentences, fines; probation etc .and could result in the loss of employment and income. Harold Baker will leave no stone unturned in his tireless defense against these complex cases. Harold’s thorough and intensive investigative techniques and skilled advocacy will help you fight against these charges whether in State of Federal Court.
When you have been charged with a crime in your capacity as a public servant, whether you are an elected official, municipal employee such as a fire fighter or police officer, commissioner or inspector, Harold Baker will mount a vigorous defense on your behalf to protect not only your rights, but your integrity, your reputation and your job
The new frontier in law enforcement is cyber crimes. E-Fraud, child pornography and cyber bullying prosecutions are on the rise. However, because these areas are new to law enforcement, and the investigative techniques are still evolving, many innocent people are swept up in over-zealous prosecutions. Harold Baker, assisted by expert computer consultants, will mount a vigorous defense against any computer crime you may be facing.
Arguments and fights between people involved in intimate relationships have existed since the dawn of time. However, in today’s society, incidents involving domestic violence are treated very seriously by police and prosecutors. Most often, once the police are called, the parties cannot then drop the charges without the consent of the prosecutor. Harold Baker has extensive experience in dealing with cases involving domestic violence and has consistently achieved favorable results through tough negotiating, skilled advocacy and determined litigation.
With an explosion in the use of prescription drugs, prosecutions for alleged illegal possession and sale of these drugs have skyrocketed. Whether you have been arrested for possession of prescription drugs or other illicit drugs, these crimes can carry significant jail sentences fines and/or probation. How the drugs were recovered can make all the difference in the outcome of the case. Harold Baker has extensive experience in defending drug possession/drug sale cases. Mr. Baker is an expert in search and seizure law, having handled thousands of these cases throughout his career. He has obtained numerous dismissals in drug cases and also has successfully diverted many other clients facing substantial jail time into drug treatment programs.
In most counties in New York, a conviction for possession of a loaded handgun carries a mandatory jail sentence. Thus, your best defense against a gun possession charge is to have an experienced, battle tested defense attorney fighting for you. Harold Baker has obtained dismissals in numerous gun possession cases as the result of his extensive experience in the field of search and seizure law.
In recent years, police and prosecutors have been cracking down on vehicular crimes such as driving with a suspended license. If you have received a ticket(s) for moving violations and have failed to pay the fines for such offenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend your license. If you are subsequently pulled over by a police officer who discovers that you are driving with a suspended license, you are subject to arrest. Repeat offenders face stiff penalties, including fines and even jail time. Harold Baker has extensive experience in dealing with all types of vehicular crimes, from the simple suspended license, to Leaving the Scene of an Accident or Vehicular Assault.
Whether you are charged with shoplifting or armed robbery, Harold Baker has the skill and experience to successfully fight these charges. An expert in the “mistaken identity” defense, Mr. Baker has secured acquittals and/or dismissals in numerous theft cases from the simple shoplifting case to the serious armed robbery cases.
Sex crimes carry not only significant jail sentences, but also may result in a person having to register as a sex offender. Furthermore, certain serious sex offenses can result in continued detention via civil commitment in a psychiatric facility after any jail sentence is completed. Thus, being accused of a sex crime has serious repercussions. Harold Baker has defended numerous sex crimes cases in his career and has consistently achieved the best possible results for his clients.
When a person is contacted/subpoenaed, and/or arrested by Federal Law enforcement, they need a zealous advocate to protect their rights. Often, a person will not know whether they are a target of an investigation or merely a witness. That can change, of course depending on many factors, including the content of your potential testimony. Harold Baker will be able to effectively advise you whether you are a target of an investigation or a witness and will provide the expertise needed to ensure your rights are protected.
In New York, the target of a grand jury proceeding has a right to testify and present evidence under most circumstances. Depending on the situation, it might be in your best interest to testify before a grand jury that is targeting you for investigation. Harold Baker has represented numerous clients in their testimony before the grand jury. As the result of his extensive experience in investigating cases and preparing witnesses and targets for grand jury testimony, Harold Baker has secured grand jury dismissals in numerous cases.
Despite the fact that in many places gambling is legal, it is still illegal in many forms in New York and New Jersey. From time to time, police and prosecutors crack down on these seemingly victimless crimes, sweeping hundreds of otherwise law-abiding citizens into the criminal justice system. Gambling offenses can carry significant punishments such as heavy fines, probation and even jail time. Harold Baker has had extensive experience defending against gambling charges and has achieved favorable results for his clients.
If you are caught with property that does not belong to you, you may be charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property-whether it is a car that your friend said belonged to his dad or a laptop you may have “found” on the subway, or a credit card you picked up off the ground, criminal possession of stolen property carries a possible jail sentence or probation. An experienced criminal defense attorney such as Harold Baker can help you fight these charges.