About Our Syracuse Criminal Defense Team
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ABOUT OUR FIRM
Who We Are: A Criminal Defense Team of Former Prosecutors
Cambareri & Brenneck, PLLC is a Syracuse, NY criminal defense firm founded by former Onondaga County prosecutors. Before they defended anyone, our attorneys worked inside the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. They charged and tried felonies, drug and weapons cases, DWIs and fraud, and they argued appeals. Now they use what they learned on that side for the people they defend.
Partner Steve Cambareri has been in private practice since 1999, when he began running Cambareri & Cambareri, LLP. In January 2021, Cambareri & Brenneck, PLLC was formed. Today our team works from 300 South State Street in downtown Syracuse and defends clients across Central New York.
If you were just arrested or charged, you don’t need a sales pitch. You need to know what the prosecution has to prove, where its case is weak, and what your real options are. That is the conversation we have at every free consultation.
- Former prosecutors who know how the DA's Office builds a case
- A defense plan built for your case, not a template
- Direct access to your lawyer, and phones answered 24/7
Our Story
From the DA's Office to Your Defense: Our History
Our team didn’t start on the defense side. Each attorney spent years in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office first. Here is how that experience became Cambareri & Brenneck.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1988 | John V. Centra, a former Onondaga County prosecutor, becomes Town of DeWitt Justice. |
| 1989 | Steve Cambareri earns his J.D. magna cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law, then serves nearly nine years as an Onondaga County Assistant District Attorney in the violent felony trial bureau. |
| 1999 | Steve Cambareri begins running his own defense practice, Cambareri & Cambareri, LLP. John V. Centra joins the Onondaga County Supreme Court. |
| 2018 | Melissa K. Swartz serves as trial counsel in the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office on its most complex cases. |
| 2021 | Cambareri & Brenneck, PLLC is formed in January, uniting former prosecutors under one roof. |
| Today | Our team includes two partners, two attorneys and a retired Fourth Department justice as Special Counsel, defending clients from our downtown Syracuse office. |
MISSION & VISION
Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission
Our Vision
CASE PROCESS
How Our Criminal Defense Team Handles Your Case
01
Consultation
Free Consultation, Day or Night
Call 315-424-8326 any time. We listen, explain the charge and your rights, and tell you what happens at your first court date, usually the arraignment in Syracuse City Court or a local town court.
02
Investigation
Investigation and Discovery
We collect police reports, body camera and dash camera video, lab results and witness statements. New York's discovery law requires prosecutors to share most of their evidence early in the case (CPL Article 245).
03
Defense
Defense Strategy and Motions
We read the file the way a prosecutor would and look for weak points: an unlawful stop or search, a statement taken without warnings, a gap in the proof. When the facts support it, we move to suppress evidence (CPL §710.20).
04
Resolution
Resolution, Trial or Appeal
Some cases are best resolved by a dismissal or a reduced charge. Others should go to trial. If a conviction needs review, our appellate team can take the appeal.
New to this? Read what to do after a criminal arrest in Syracuse.
IMMEDIATE DEFENSE
Arrested in Syracuse? Talk to Our Team Today
MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Former Prosecutors on Our Team
Each attorney at Cambareri & Brenneck worked for the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office before joining the defense side. A former prosecutor defense attorney knows how charges are chosen, what evidence the DA relies on, and when a prosecutor is willing to reduce or dismiss a case. Every workable path to a better outcome gets explored.
Steve Cambareri
Partner
Nearly 9 years as an Onondaga County ADA in the violent felony trial bureau. DWI and serious felony defense. Adjunct trial practice professor, Syracuse University College of Law.
Scott A. Brenneck
Partner
Former Onondaga County ADA, Felony Trial Unit: assault, burglary, robbery and weapons cases. DWI, felony, misdemeanor and traffic defense.
Melissa K. Swartz
Attorney
Joe Centra, Esq.
Attorney
Hon. John V. Centra (Ret.)
Special Counsel
Michele Previte
Office Manager
Jess Edwards
Administrative Assistant
Michele Previte
Office Manager
Jess Edwards
Administrative Assistant
Our attorneys lead our work on DWI, felony and misdemeanor charges, drug and weapons cases, theft and fraud, federal crimes, Title IX and criminal appeals.
CREDENTIALS
Teaching, Recognition and News Coverage
Teaching and Lecturing
- Steve Cambareri: adjunct trial practice professor at Syracuse University College of Law; formerly adjunct at Cazenovia College and Bryant & Stratton.
- Steve Cambareri: Onondaga County Bar Association CLE lecturer on DWI and the Vehicle and Traffic Law; has lectured to the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the Center for Forensic Sciences.
- Melissa K. Swartz: lecturer at the Syracuse Police Academy.
Bar Leadership and Recognition
- Melissa K. Swartz: Onondaga County Bar Association Executive Director (2024–2027) and OCBA 2025 Rising Star.
- Melissa K. Swartz: representative for the Northern District of New York CJA Panel.
- Hon. John V. Centra (Ret.): 2018 OCBA Ruger Award.
- Scott A. Brenneck: trial advocacy awards at Syracuse University College of Law.
Courts and Publications
- Melissa K. Swartz: admitted in New York State, the Northern and Western Districts of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
- Hon. John V. Centra (Ret.): sat by designation on the New York Court of Appeals.
- Steve Cambareri: past member of the LexisNexis New York Criminal Practice editorial board.
In the News
WHY CHOOSE US
Why Clients Choose Our Criminal Trial Lawyers
Former Prosecutors on Every Case
Our attorneys come from the DA's violent felony, felony trial, narcotics, economic fraud and appeals bureaus. They know what a prosecutor needs to prove, and where proof runs thin.
Ready for Trial, Ready for Appeal
Each criminal defense trial lawyer here has tried cases to a jury. Our appellate team, which includes a retired Fourth Department justice, means trial choices are made with a possible appeal in mind.
Phones Answered 24/7
Arrests happen at night and on weekends. Call any time, and a member of our team will get back to you quickly.
Free, Confidential Consultation
Tell us what happened. We'll explain your options and our fee before you commit to anything.
Results From Our Attorneys' Work
Wrongful conviction overturned
Broadwater: an exoneration, followed by a $5.5 million settlement.
Conviction reversed and dismissed
Jury acquittal on top counts
People v. D.B.: acquittal on two counts of first-degree rape.
Life sentence cut by 120 years
People v. Mayette: a sentence of 140 years to life reduced to 20 years to life.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
AREAS WE SERVE
Where Our Team Defends Clients
Syracuse, NY
Our office is at 300 South State Street, 1st Floor, downtown. We defend cases in Syracuse City Court, Onondaga County Court, and the federal court in Syracuse, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Onondaga County Towns
Auburn and Cayuga County
Cases in Auburn City Court and Cayuga County Court, prosecuted by the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office.
Oswego and Oswego County
Cases in Oswego City Court and Oswego County Court. Melissa K. Swartz has served as a Special Prosecutor for Oswego County (People v. Allen).
Wherever your case is, it starts with a call to our Syracuse criminal defense law firm at 315-424-8326.
TESTIMONIALS
What Clients Say About Our Team
Cambareri & Brenneck
4.7 ★ on Google
Johnny D
Kristy Gardner
Emily Detor
Anthony Vergara
Scott Brenneck is an amazing attorney he has help me with my own personal legal matter as well as coworkers.
Who founded Cambareri & Brenneck?
Partners Steve Cambareri and Scott A. Brenneck lead the firm, which was formed in January 2021. Steve had run his own defense practice, Cambareri & Cambareri, LLP, since 1999, after nearly nine years as an Onondaga County prosecutor. Scott also prosecuted felony cases for the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office before he moved to defense work.
Which parts of the DA's Office did your attorneys work in?
Can a former prosecutor defend me against the DA's Office they used to work for?
What is the difference between a trial lawyer and a criminal lawyer?
Does your team handle appeals as well as trials?
Yes. Melissa K. Swartz handles appeals and post-conviction motions in state and federal court. Joe Centra argued appeals for the DA’s Office in the Fourth Department and the New York Court of Appeals. Our Special Counsel heard more than 10,000 appeals as a Fourth Department justice. Having trial and appellate lawyers on one team helps protect the record from day one.
What is Judge John Centra's role at the firm?
Hon. John V. Centra (Ret.) is Special Counsel to the firm. He began as an Onondaga County prosecutor, then served as Town of DeWitt Justice, as an Onondaga County Supreme Court Justice, and as a justice of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, where he heard more than 10,000 appeals. Today his work at the firm includes mediation.
Do your attorneys teach or lecture on criminal law?
Yes. Steve Cambareri is an adjunct trial practice professor at Syracuse University College of Law and has lectured on DWI law for the Onondaga County Bar Association, the Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. Melissa K. Swartz lectures at the Syracuse Police Academy. Teaching keeps our team current on New York law and on how police are trained.
Has your team's work been in the news?
Will one lawyer handle my case, or the whole team?
Is Cambareri & Brenneck the same firm as Cambareri & Cambareri?
Page reviewed by Steve Cambareri, Partner, former Onondaga County Assistant District Attorney. Last updated November 2026.
CONTACT US
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Office: Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm · Phones answered 24/7.
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Sending this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Information on this page is general and is not legal advice.