Michael Spano graduated from Nazareth College of Rochester with a B.S. in Economics in 1989. He graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 1992 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1993. Working as a criminal defense attorney in Cayuga County until 1989, he defended people accused of a variety of crimes including murder, drug offenses, and driving while intoxicated.

Michael joined the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office in 1998 as an assistant District Attorney and spent the next ten years prosecuting violent felony offenses. He was ultimately promoted to Chief Assistant District Attorney and put in charge of the Homicide Bureau where his responsibilities included overseeing the prosecution of all homicides in Onondaga County. Mr. Spano has been successful in numerous jury trials throughout his career. His trials included murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault, arson. robbery, burglary, sex crimes, weapon possession, drug offenses, DWI, as well as petty offenses.

While at the District Attorney’s Office, Michael was involved in several high profile cases, including the prosecution of Onondaga County’s first hate crime in 2003. The individual responsible for setting fire to Temple Beth El in Syracuse was convicted by a jury of a violent felony offense and sentenced to twenty five years in prison. In 2004 he successfully prosecuted a murder for hire crime and the man and woman responsible are now serving life sentences..

Mr. Spano has conducted trainings with officers from the Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department. He has also led several Continuing Legal Education seminars for other members of the Onondaga Bar Association. For nearly two decades now, Michael Spano has focused his practice on criminal defense. His years as both a prosecutor and defense attorney will be an asset to those he represents.