Double Homicide:  Indictments Dismissed 20 Years Later

Bruce Barket and a team of dedicated lawyers obtained the long-awaited dismissal of the double homicide case against Martin Tankleff, who had been convicted and jailed for nearly 20 years for the murder of his parents on Long Island in 1988.

After Mr. Barket and his team obtained an order vacating the murder convictions, New York’s Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, took on the task of re-investigating the murders. He reviewed the evidence gathered and developed by Mr.Barket and his trial team throughout several years of investigation and the subsequent courtroom hearings in Supreme Court, Suffolk County. Mr. Barket's cross examinations and strategic approach to the hearings were covered by both local and national media.

The Attorney General agreed with Mr. Barket and the trial team that the murder indictments should be dismissed and no new trial conducted. The dismissal of the case marked an end to the nearly 20-year odyssey of Mr. Tankleff, who spent nearly two decades in jail, all the while maintaining his innocence. Mr. Barket was hired in 2003 and spent over 5 years proving Mr. Tankleff’s innocence.