Steven Epstein is a founding partner at Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco, LLP and head of the firm’s DWI and Vehicular Crimes group. Mr. Epstein has more than 31 years of experience in the field of DWI and criminal defense. He has tried well over 100 DWI cases to verdict.
Mr. Epstein is widely recognized as one of the foremost DWI attorneys in the country, specializing in representing clients accused of DWI, vehicular homicide, and other criminal offenses. He has represented clients facing vehicular crimes charges throughout New York State and has defended clients charged with DWI or vehicular homicide in many other states including New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. He is often called upon to assist local counsel handling vehicular homicide cases based on his expertise in forensic and scientific issues such as blood and breath test evidence. Governor Hochul appointed Mr. Epstein to the New York State Commission on Forensic Science. His role is critical in developing standards and accreditation programs for forensic laboratories across New York State.
He is a nationally recognized and much sought after lecturer at continuing legal education seminars for other attorneys. Mr. Epstein is Head of the Steven Epstein DWI Defense Institute, a three-year educational program designed to teach lawyers how to defend and try DWI and Vehicular Homicide cases and is relied upon as the principal instructor in DWI defense for most of the New York Metropolitan area public defender offices. Mr. Epstein regularly lectures throughout New York State and other parts of the country on the topic of DWI, breath testing, blood testing, standardized field sobriety tests, and trial skills. In total, he has trained well over four thousand attorneys in DWI defense. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University over 25 years, where he teaches trial skills and is the author of numerous published articles relating to trial techniques, legal challenges to scientific evidence, legal updates, and other criminal and DWI defense related issues.
Mr. Epstein proudly serves on the National Task Force on Trial Advocacy for the National College for DUI Defense and serves the National College for DUI Defense as a Faculty Member, and Northeast Regional Delegate.
Mr. Epstein is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York State Bar Association. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers named him one of their top 20 CLE lecturers. He has been named a New York metro area Super Lawyer every year since 2014 and in 2021 was awarded the President’s Award by the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for his service to the legal community during the pandemic. Mr. Epstein recently served on the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Modernizing Criminal Courts which made suggestions to changes to criminal justice statewide.
Mr. Epstein successfully challenged New York’s discovery statute and obtained and enforced an order directing the State to turn over to every defendant in New York State the full records of gas chromatography that relate to the certification of the simulator solution used for every person charged with a DWI who submitted to a breath test. This ruling subsequently resulted in a change to New York’s legislation. The resulting new discovery statute now entitles every defendant to the full records of gas chromatography that relate to the certification of the simulator solution, a statute he helped author.
Mr. Epstein has won trials for his clients charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired by drugs and other vehicular crimes offenses in New York and other states. In a recent case he defended a client charged with DWI in Vermont, took the case to trial and won a not guilty verdict.
Mr. Epstein was appointed by the United States Department of Justice as a peer reviewer for National Institute of Justice Grant applications to conduct research that examines criminal justice tools, protocols, and policies concerning drug trafficking, markets and use, and the effects of drug legalization and decriminalization on law enforcement, applicable to State, tribal and local jurisdictions.
Mr. Epstein successfully completed and helps teach the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration DWI Detection/SFST practitioner course; a 24-hour course recognized by the Federal Government and has successfully completed coursework on the use and maintenance of breath testing devices.
Click here to see a list of Mr. Epstein’s seminars and publications.
Recognitions
President of New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Member of the New York State Commission on Forensic Science
Named as one of the nation’s top continuing legal educators by the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Member of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Modernizing Criminal Courts
Named a New York Metro Area Super Lawyer 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
United States Department of Justice, appointed peer reviewer
Successfully completed and helps teach the NHTSA DWI/SFST practitioner course, a 24-hour course recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Associations
- New York State Association of Criminal defense Lawyers
- National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- New York State Bar Association
- National College for DUI Defense
- Adjunct Faculty, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
- Instructor, Legal Aid Society of the City of New York
- Board of Trustees, Hartwick College
If you or a loved one have been arrested for DWI or any crime, Mr. Epstein is available 24/7 to help. Call (516) 650-1297 to get started.
Email: sepstein@barketepstein.com
