Rubenstein and unidentified guests attend a 2009 gala. (Getty)
Sanford Rubenstein is a former legislator and high-profile New York attorney who is making headlines after being accused of rape.
He’s well known for his links to Reverend Al Sharpton and his involvement with famous civil rights cases in New York City, many targeting the New York Police Department.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He’s Accused of Raping a Woman after Sharpton’s 60th Birthday Party
NYPD Crime Scene Unit officers are seen holding biological evidence bags outside attorney Sanford Rubenstein’s apartment building on October 6, 2014. (Getty)
The incident is alleged to have occurred last Wednesday, October 1st, after Rubenstein and the alleged victim left Sharpton’s party at the Four Seasons, and went to Rubenstein’s penthouse on East 64th Street in Manhattan. The alleged victim filed a complaint on Friday.
The woman is a retail company executive and an employee of Sharpton’s National Action Network. The New York Post reports that she is a “top official” with the NAN.
2. He Withdrew As the Lawyer Representing the Family of Eric Garner
The Rev. Al Sharpton marches with family members of Eric Garner. (Getty)
Rubenstein had been representing the family of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died last July after being placed in a chokehold by an NYPD officer during an arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes.
A grand jury is being convened to determine if criminal charges will be brought, and the family is suing the city, the police department and the officers involved, asking for $75 million.
But Rubenstein announced Wednesday that he was withdrawing from the case to make sure the family could pursue justice without distractions.
Here’s the statement Rubenstein issued Wednesday, via the New York Daily News:
I will be stepping back from any role representing the family of police choking victim Eric Garner so there are no distractions from the family’s fight for justice,” Rubenstein said in a statement obtained by the Daily News.
“Other highly capable attorneys will remain on the team representing the Garner family and will continue to press for justice and accountability.
Garner’s wife was in attendance at Sharpton’s party.
3. He Has Longtime Links to Reverend Al Sharpton
Rubenstein accompanies Rev. Al Sharpton during a news conference in June 2007. (Getty)
Rubenstein’s website mentions Sharpton as “a friend and client,” and describes the time they spent in federal jail together after protesting the use of Vieques as a Navy bombing range.
He also represented Sharpton in a lawsuit against the city of New York for the failure of police to protect Sharpton when he was stabbed while in a “safe zone” while protesting the killing of a black teenager in Bensonhurst, New York.
Sharpton has said in the past that Rubenstein “truly believes in the fundamental pursuit of justice.” But the New York Post reported that Sharpton said of the rape case: “I don’t care how close we are. If he’s wrong, he’s wrong.”
Rubenstein has also been the recipient of the “Keeper of the Dream” award, awarded by the National Action Network.
4. He Has Been Involved in Many of New York’s Highest-Profile Civil Rights Cases
Rubenstein leaves court with Abner Louima in June 1999. (Getty)
Rubenstein represented Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant who was tortured and sodomized while in police custody in his civil suit against the city of New York. In 2001, Louima was awarded $8.75 million — the largest police brutality settlement in New York City history.
He represented the family of Sean Bell, the Queens man who was shot dead by NYPD officers on the night of his bachelor party in an incident in which 50 bullets were fired by the police. His work on the case resulted in changes to the NYPD’s post-incident protocol for officers involved in a shooting, requiring them to undergo drug and alcohol testing after firing a weapon.
He also represented the families of victims who died and were seriously injured in the 2003 Staten Island ferry crash.
5. He’s a Native New Yorker
Rubenstein was born in Brooklyn and grew up both in the public housing projects of Long Island City and in Monsey.
The New York Daily News reports that he said of his childhood,
“I’m a fighter, I’m not ashamed to say that I’m a product of the projects in Long Island City, public education and I went to law school at night. It’s an example of what a great country we are.”
According to the biography on his website, he went on to receive an associate’s degree from Rockland Community College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University at Oswego, an MBA from Baruch College and a JD from the Brooklyn Law School.
The offices of Rubenstein’s law firm are still based in Brooklyn.