David Crane

Who is David Crane?

David M. Crane is an American who was the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone from April 2002 until July 15, 2005. During his tenure, he indicted, among others, the then-President of Liberia, Charles Taylor. Crane was replaced as chief prosecutor by his deputy Desmond de Silva. On April 26, 2012, the SCSL, sitting in The Hague, convicted Taylor on various charges.

SCSL prosecutors Crane, DeSilva, and Brenda Hollis traveled to The Hague, Netherlands on Sept. 26, 2013 to witness the upholding of Taylor’s 50-year sentence by the special court’s appeals judges.

Crane spent 30 years working for the United States federal government. His former posts include Director of the Office of Intelligence Review, assistant general counsel of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Waldemar A. Solf Professor of International Law at the United States Army Judge Advocate Generals School.

Crane has a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law and a M.A. in African Studies from Ohio University.

Crane was appointed a Professor of Practice at Syracuse University College of Law in 2006.