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Linda Fairstein

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Attorney

The Resume

    (May 5, 1947- )
    Born in Mount Vernon, New York
    Attorney and author
    Headed the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office (1976-2002)
    Published more than 20 mystery novels featuring prosecutor Alexandra Cooper

Why she might be annoying:

    She oversaw the prosecution and wrongful conviction of the Central Park Five (1990).
    Even after serial rapist/murderer Matias Reyes confessed to the rape the Central Park Five had been convicted of and had his confession confirmed by DNA testing (2002), she continued to insist the original defendants were guilty and lauded the police investigation as 'brilliant.'
    Appellate Court Judge Vito Titone said, 'I was concerned about a criminal justice system that would tolerate the conduct of the prosecutor, Linda Fairstein, who deliberately engineered a 15-year-old's confession. ... Fairstein wanted to make a name. She didn't care.'
    She used her friendship with Martha Bashford, her successor as head of the sex crimes unit, to ensure that Adam Levinson, a doctor who had been arrested for filming up women's skirts on the subway, was convicted only on misdemeanor charges and did not lose his medical license (2012).
    She helped Harvey Weinstein's legal team suppress a sexual harassment complaint by Italian model Ambra Gutierrez (2015).
    She told the New York Times she did not think Gutierrez's complaint was 'well founded' (2017), even though Bashford's office had a tape of Weinstein admitting to groping her breasts.
    The Mystery Writers of America had planned to name her a Grand Master, but withdrew the honor due the Central Park Five controversy (2018).
    Glamour magazine officially revoked her 'woman of the year' award (2019).

Why she might not be annoying:

    Kelly McGillis consulted with her before portraying the prosecutor in 'The Accused.' (1988)
    The sex crimes unit inspired the series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, whose female lead, Mariska Hargitay, called Fairstein 'my fairy godmother.'
    She founded the Domestic Violence Committee of the New York Women's Agenda.
    She was the first woman to receive the Federal Bar Council's prestigious Emory Buckner Award 'for outstanding public service.' (1991)
    She was named one of Glamour magazine's women of the year (1993).
    She was dropped by her publisher, E.P. Dutton, after the release of <36323>Ava DuVernay's miniseries about the Central Park Five, 'When They See Us.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 19 Votes: 63.16% Annoying