Mel Sachs

Mel Sachs (1946 – August 30, 2006) was a prominent American criminal defense attorney in New York City.

Sachs was born in Bronx, New York City. He went to Boston University for college and continued on to Brooklyn Law School. He was an active member of Congregation Emanu-El of New York. Sachs got his career start working with the Legal Aid Society. During his career he represented many prominent celebrities including Mike Tyson. One of his most famous cases was representing Sante Kimes. Another high profile case was that of convicted serial killer Alejandro Henriquez. He was a frequent guest on talk shows hosted by Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Larry King, and Greta Van Susteren. Sean Penn used him as his role model in the making of the film Carlito's Way. He was famous for incorporating his passion for magic into his court room arguments. He taught at Cornell University Law School, Emory University Law School, Hofstra University School of Law, and the University of Colorado Law School. Sachs also served on the corporate boards of the Inland Fiber Group LLC and the U.S. Timberlands Services Company LLC. He died in his native city of New York, aged 60.