Michael J. Keane is the Acting District Attorney of Erie County, New York.
Prior to his appointment to Acting District Attorney effective March 31, 2024, Keane served as the First Deputy District Attorney under District Attorney John J. Flynn. Since March 2017, Keane has been responsible for overseeing all bureaus and the day-to-day operations of the office. Additionally, Keane has supervised all homicide, special victims and gun violence-related cases as well as other high-profile investigations, including the prosecution of the murderer in the 5/14 grocery store massacre on Buffalo’s East Side.
Over the past seven years, Acting DA Keane has implemented significant changes to improve and modernize the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, including the reorganization of attorney and staff assignments, enhancing training and continuing legal education programs, launching an open file discovery policy and establishing changes to policies regarding bail and plea agreements.
Keane spearheaded the establishment of specialized prosecution bureaus, including the Raise the Age Unit to prosecute juveniles charged with the most serious offenses, the Conviction Integrity Unit to ensure the lawful prosecution of the convicted, and the Public Integrity Unit to investigate corruption in all levels of government.
Under Acting DA Keane’s leadership, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement and community partners, has created programs to prevent crime and reduce recidivism among our youth, including Gun Violence Impact panel discussions, High-Risk Youth Team and the Youth Restorative Justice Pilot Program.
As part of his commitment to increase diversity within the office, Acting DA Keane helped create a Diversity Equity and Inclusion officer and committee in the office.
Additionally, Acting DA Keane was a leader in the establishment of the nation’s first Opioid Intervention Court to confront the increase in opioid-related overdose death. He also helped establish the DWI Diversion/Treatment Court programs within Buffalo City Court.
Keane was born and raised in Western New York and is a graduate of Canisius High School. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Siena College, his Master of Business Administration Degree from Clarkson University and his Juris Doctor Degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.
Keane began his legal career in 1993 as a private practitioner representing criminal defendants in Erie County. In 1994, he joined the District Attorney’s Office where he quickly advanced and became a skilled trial attorney responsible for the prosecution of numerous serious felony criminal cases in Erie County Court and New York State Supreme Court.
After five years of service as an Assistant District Attorney, Keane left the Erie County DA’s Office to continue his legal career in various private law firms, eventually becoming a partner and a shareholder, representing clients in both civil and criminal matters in Supreme Courts and in the Federal District Court in the Western District of New York. During his more than 30 years as a trial attorney, Keane has also argued appeals before the New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.