email: ressen

Richard J. Essen is a graduate of the University of Miami and its Law School. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1963 and has since been admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York. He has lectured extensively before various Bar associations, law schools and criminal defense lawyers' associations. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Second, Eleventh, and District of Columbia Courts of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Mr. Essen has served as an Assistant State Attorney in Dade County, Florida and now, in addition to his own practice, teaches DUI defense tactics and techniques to thousands of attorneys throughout the country. A Regent for the National College for DUI Defense Inc., Mr. Essen has been lead counsel in at least 1,000 non-jury trials and 100 jury trials.

Mr. Essen also authored the following article which questions the reliability of breath test results: "Why The Intoxilyzer Isn't Worth a 'Blank' II: Cross-Examination Of The State's Expert," Vol.11, No.7 DWI Journal, July 1996. He is the author and subject of a video program, "The Defense of Drunk Driving Cases... He authored "Defense of Drunk Driving Practice Guide" and has written a bi-monthly column, "Essen's Notebook," for the DWI Journal since 1987, and is also on the Editorial Board of that national publication.