Brendan M. Ahern was the former Deputy Division Chief of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Trial Division. As Deputy Division Chief, Mr. Ahern oversaw the Vehicular Crime, District Court, Case Advisory, and Intake Bureaus and the Domestic Violence Unit. Additionally, he worked alongside members of the Executive Team to advise the District Attorney on strategy and policy matters.
Mr. Ahern previously served as the Chief of the Vehicular Crime Bureau between January 2018 and January 2020. In this capacity, Mr. Ahern managed the investigation and prosecution of all vehicular crimes in Suffolk County involving serious physical injury and death. Additionally, Mr. Ahern implemented the District Attorney’s “Choices & Consequences” program to educate Suffolk County high school students about safe and smart choices regarding alcohol, drugs, and driving.
Mr. Ahern began his career as a prosecutor in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, where he was assigned to the District Court and Vehicular Crime Bureau. In 2011, he was promoted to Trial Supervisor for the DWI Unit, and at the time he left the office he was a Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Court Bureau tasked with supervising all misdemeanor vehicular prosecutions in the county.
From 2014 to 2017, Mr. Ahern was in private practice where he successfully worked in areas of criminal defense and civil negligence. In 2017, he was recognized by the Suffolk County Assigned Defenders for his excellence in uncovering misconduct in a multi-defendant homicide case.
Mr. Ahern served as an instructor for the New York State Prosecutor’s Training Institute (“NYPTI”) on topics ranging from homicide prosecutions, collision investigation and reconstruction, DWI investigation, and victim’s rights. Additionally, Mr. Ahern lectured on legal topics to the Suffolk County Police Academy and within the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Ahern was the recipient of the 2018 Suffolk County District Attorney’s Leadership Award. In 2019, he received awards for both his investigative work within the District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Bureau in the exoneration of an innocent man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1977, as well as his lead trial work culminating in the conviction of a defendant who drove drunk and killed a twelve-year old Boy Scout. In January 2020, Mr. Ahern was recognized by the District Attorney Association of the State of New York (“DAASNY”) with the prestigious Robert M. Morgenthau Award. The award is given annually to one regional prosecutor that personifies a commitment to integrity and the tireless pursuit of justice. In December 2020, he was recognized as the National Traffic Safety Prosecutor of the Year by the National Association of Prosecuting Coordinators and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”).
Mr. Ahern received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Villanova University and his law degree from Hofstra University School of Law, where he was a recipient of the Judge Edward J. Hart Memorial Scholarship for Trial Advocacy. Mr. Ahern was born and raised in Suffolk County, and currently lives in Suffolk County with his wife and family.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy Seal Museum Fundraising Team
Mr. Ahern works with a team of volunteers to fundraise in support of the completion and operation of the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy Seal Museum in West Sayville, New York. His team of local supporters takes great pride in honoring a local, real American Hero and Medal of Honor recipient and all the men and women of our United States military services who serve and sacrifice to protect our freedom.
