Ms. Brennan heads the Office of Special Narcotics which, with citywide jurisdiction, is the primary narcotics prosecution agency in the city. The Office annually handles an average of 6,000 indictments resulting from felony drug arrests, and conducts long-term investigations into major drug trafficking organizations. Ms. Brennan manages the administration of the agency's $12 million annual budget and the supervision of a staff of approximately 90 assistant district attorneys and over 100 support personnel.
A native of Milwaukee, Ms. Brennan earned a B.A. in Journalism from UW-Madison and was a television reporter in Eau Claire and Green Bay before entering law school. She had intended to return to journalism, but was offered a job as an assistant district attorney by Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau 18 years ago -- on her first visit to New York City. She had been Acting Special Prosecutor for six months. "We picked her on her ability," District Attorney Morgenthau stated in the May 1, 1998 New York Times. "She's a very able lawyer." In the same article ("City's Acting Drug Prosecutor to Take Over Top Post Today," by Christopher S. Wren), Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes cites Ms. Brennan's "extensive experience in prosecuting drug felonies." He adds, "She's also in sync with the issue that is important to me, which is treatment as an alternative to prison." Brennan was also featured on a full-page cover article of the Weekend Section of the New York Daily News on May 9, 1998. The article gives a vivid portrayal of Brennan and her assistants intercepting a phone call from Colombia and acting quickly to prevent a drug-related murder.
Submitted by on August 28, 2001
This article appears in the categories: Articles
