Jeffrey Kestenband
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Personal Experience
Jeff Kestenband is of counsel to Butler, Norris & Gold. Jeff focuses his practice on criminal defense in state and federal court. He has represented clients charged with crimes ranging from murder, robbery, sexual assault, and other serious felonies to misdemeanors such as DUI, drug offenses and larceny. Jeff also appears in federal court where he defends people charged with white collar and other federal crimes. He is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, an intensive two-week trial training program that included instruction and participation in all phases of trial practice.
In addition to his pretrial and trial practice, Jeff represents clients on appeal and other post-conviction proceedings. He has briefed and argued more than thirty appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court, Connecticut Appellate Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Vermont Supreme Court. Jeff is also admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court where he has filed petitions for writs of certiorari.
Jeff has been retained on multiple occasions by other criminal defense attorneys in Connecticut to testify as an expert witness on the proper preparation and presentation of a criminal case at trial. Jeff’s most recent expert testimony was cited by the court as persuasive to the court’s decision to vacate a murder conviction and 60 year sentence.
Jeff is an active member of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (CCDLA) and has testified about criminal legislation before the Connecticut legislature on behalf of the CCDLA. He has also presented seminars to other criminal defense attorneys.
Jeff graduated from Wesleyan University and UConn School of Law, with honors. He was an Associate Editor of the Connecticut Law Review and Executive Director of the Connecticut Moot Court Board. After law school, Jeff served as an adjunct professor at UConn Law where he taught Moot Court and Lawyering Process to law students. He also served on the Board of Directors of UConn Law School Alumni Association for nine years and was the President from 2014 to 2015.
Verdicts & Settlements
Jeff’s appellate wins include reversals of serious felony convictions; the invalidation of a state law that unconstitutionally permitted judges to impose increased sentences for certain offenses; and the reversal of a district court ruling that denied Jeff’s client over $1,000,000 in restitution credit in a bank fraud case. Other post-conviction successes include a federal court vacating the petitioner’s conviction and mandatory life sentence, and re-sentencing him to time served; a federal court ruling that Jeff’s client was no longer subject to an enhanced sentence and ordering him released immediately; and a state court ruling that Jeff’s client received an illegally high sentence and re-sentencing him to years less.