For over 26 years, Harley has devoted his professional career to defending persons all over the country in Federal Court, State Court and Municipal Court, whose charges range from Murder, Aggravated Sexual Assault, Robbery, Gun Possession, White Collar Crime, Drug Cases, Kingpin Cases, Racketeering, Terrorism, Police Brutality all the way down to Speeding. Harley has practiced law in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Virginia.
Harley has routinely handled Drug Offenses of a large nature including representing a defendant in the Tampa Bay Federal Court who was indicted for smuggling 2,500 kilos of cocaine from Colombia, a defendant in the Boston Federal Court indicted for distributing 800 kilos of cocaine and a defendant indicted in the Albany Federal Court for distributing 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week for a period of years.
Harley has been privileged to handle approximately 75 Homicide Cases including New Jersey’s last indicted Death Penalty Case. One of Harley’s most recent Murder Trials became the subject of a Documentary Film entitled “Stray Bullet” capturing the accidental shooting of 12 year old Genesis Rincon while she was riding her scooter and its subsequent jury trial. “Stray Bullet” can be currently seen on Netflix.
Harley is constantly trying cases before a jury. Being that person who stands up for the accused and forces the State to test their evidence, as opposed to simply concluding that someone is guilty without going through all the proper safeguards and procedures, is a source of pride for Harley. Harley tries as many cases, if not more than, any other criminal defense attorney.
Harley is a strong advocate for any and all Anti-Bullying platforms and has spent the last 35 years of his life in pursuit of ending all types of Bullying, including physical and psychological.
When he is not working, Harley continues his 29 year passion for martial arts, training and fighting MMA and competing all over the world in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Harley holds a Black Belt in KickBoxing from Shihan Juan Perez of Paterson, New Jersey and a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Vitor Terra Gracie of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Harley is a Two-Time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and has also won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan Am Games and is the 2017 and 2018 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Zurich Open Champion.
Harley, with help from many others, has for the past 25 years, built and grown a charity, “Harley’s Kids”, in which 200 mentally and physically challenged persons are guests at his bi-monthly parties and various other fun-filled events. Harley is an avid large caliber gun collector, owning over 31 firearms and storing 19,000 rounds of ammunition at his house and office. Harley enjoys studying piano, learning foreign languages and painting. And of course, there is always time for Otis and Boris, his beloved monster Pit-Bull brothers who are the grandsons of “The Hulk”, The World’s Largest Pit-Bull, and the sons of “King Kong.”
As far as Harley’s educational background is concerned, after studying both Philosophy and Bio-Chemistry, Harley graduated from Rutgers College in 1990 and immediately entered New York Law School. Harley earned his J.D. in 1993. Desiring to learn the art of becoming a true Trial Attorney, Harley entered Temple University Law School’s prestigious LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Trial Advocacy and graduated in 1997. Harley was also admitted directly into the Rutgers Graduate School of Criminal Justice’s Ph.D. Program where he studied full-time for 2 years.
Harley held the position of Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice for 9 years at both William Paterson University and Rowan University. Additionally, Harley broadened his legal perspective by serving as Municipal Prosecutor for the Borough of Prospect Park as well as Acting Prosecutor for several other municipalities.