Robert Eyer

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Practice Areas:
- Criminal Defense
- Homicide
- Assault
- Sexual Offenses
- Burglary
- Theft
- White Collar
- DUI
- Traffic Offenses
Biography
Robert Eyer has practiced criminal law for nearly 25 years as defense counsel and prosecutor. Mr. Eyer graduated from The Dickinson School of Law in 1992 and from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1989. He began his legal career as law clerk to The Honorable James C. Hogan of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County. After serving with Judge Hogan, Mr. Eyer began the practice of law with the Easton law firm of Laub, Seidel, Cohen & Hof, LLC. His practice consisted of civil litigation with an emphasis on personal injury as well as criminal defense practice. After his time with the law firm Mr. Eyer began private practice in his own office, with continued emphasis on criminal defense.
Thereafter, Mr. Eyer was asked to serve as a prosecutor with the Office of the District Attorney of Northampton County and he left private practice to work as an Assistant District Attorney. Mr. Eyer later moved from the Office of the District Attorney to serve in an administrative capacity as Asbestos Docket Manager for The Honorable Jack A. Panella, then Asbestos Administrative Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, now a Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. That service continued under The Honorable Edward G. Smith, then Asbestos Administrative Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, now a Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After serving the Court, Mr. Eyer returned to private criminal defense practice in his own office before being asked to return to the Office of the District Attorney to prosecute drug cases and then to serve as chief violent crime prosecutor. During this time with the Office of the District Attorney, Mr. Eyer also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.
Mr. Eyer interrupted his work as prosecutor when President Judge Robert A. Freedberg, then of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, was appointed by the Governor to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and asked Mr. Eyer to serve as his Chief Judicial Law Clerk.
Mr. Eyer then returned to the Office of the District Attorney to prosecute violent crimes and to serve as chief prosecutor in the investigating grand jury working with the most experienced police investigators on unsolved homicide cases.
Mr. Eyer is the President-Elect of the Northampton County Bar Association and he will serve as President in 2020. He is also a long-serving Member of the Board of Governors of the Northampton County Bar Association. Mr. Eyer also served as Chair of the Northampton County Bar Association Committee on Criminal Law and Criminal Court Rules.
In January of 2014, the Northampton County Executive appointed Mr. Eyer as Chief Public Defender of Northampton County and Northampton County Council unanimously confirmed that appointment. Mr. Eyer completed his term as Chief Public Defender in January of 2018. Immediately after completing his term as Chief Public Defender, Mr. Eyer was asked by the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County to serve as Conflicts Counsel representing indigent individuals charged with the most serious criminal offenses, including homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, sexual offenses and serious drug offenses.
Over the years Mr. Eyer has frequently served as speaker at various programs on criminal law and criminal procedure presented for lawyers and the public, including as a faculty member at the annual statewide Criminal Law Symposium presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute as well as similar presentations for the local bar and as part of the People's Law School and the Citizens' Academy.
Mr. Eyer has extensive experience in the defense and prosecution of all types of criminal cases. Mr. Eyer is using this extensive criminal law and litigation experience to serve clients with Goudsouzian & Associates.
Robert lives locally with his wife, Charleen. They have an adult daughter, Emma, who is a graduate of Temple University and a real estate professional in San Diego and La Jolla California.
Education
- The Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- J.D. - 1992
- Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
- B.A. - 1989
- Major: Political Science, Criminal Justice, History
Bar Admission
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
Classes & Seminars
- Faculty Member, Presenter, Annual statewide Criminal Law Symposium, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
Past Positions
- Hon. James C. Hogan, Law Clerk, 1992 to 1994
- Laub, Seidel, Cohen & Hof, LLC, Associate, 1994 to 1998
- Law Office of Robert Eyer, 1998 to 1999
- Office of the District Attorney of Northampton County, Assistant District Attorney, 2000 to 2001
- Asbestos Docket Manager, 2001 to 2004
- Law Office of Robert Eyer, 2004 to 2006
- Office of the District Attorney of Northampton County, Assistant District Attorney, 2004 to 2008
- Chief Judicial Law Clerk to Hon. Robert A. Freedberg, Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2008 to 2009
- Office of the District Attorney of Northampton County, Assistant District Attorney, 2010 to 2013
- Chief Public Defender of Northampton County, Conflicts Counsel , 2018
- Honorable Edward G. Smith
- Asbestos Administrative Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County
- Special Assistant United States Attorney
Professional Associations
- Northampton County Bar Association, Officer and Member of the Board of Governors
- Northampton County Bar Association, Member
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Northampton County Bar Association, President-Elect
- Northampton County Bar Association Committee on Criminal Law and Criminal Court Rules, Chair
Current Employment Position
- Attorney