Both of Torres' parents emigrated from Puerto Rico and settled in the barrio in Manhattan's Spanish Harlem where Torres was born. Growing up in poverty, Torres graduated from Stuyvesant High School. From there he attended City College of the City University of New York, followed by the Brooklyn Law School. In 1958, Torres was admitted to the New York State Bar. In 1959, as an assistant district attorney, Torres participated in the prosecution of the infamous Sal "the Capeman" Agron. Shortly thereafter he became a criminal defense attorney.

In 1977, Torres was appointed to the New York State Criminal Court. In 1980 he was elected to the State Supreme Court, where he is a justice representing the Twelfth Judicial District in New York City. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over felony cases, and Judge Torres has presided over a number of high-profile murder cases.

Torres has used his insight into the criminal underworld to become a writer of crime fiction. He wrote Carlito's Way in 1975 and its sequel After Hours in 1979; both novels follow the exploits of Carlito Brigante, a fictional Puerto Rican drug kingpin and hustler who ends up doing time in Sing-Sing and struggles to go "straight" after his release. Another novel, Q & A (1977), portrays the investigation of a decorated New York City police lieutenant suspected of corruption.

Film adaptations

A film adaptation of Q & A was released in 1990, directed by Sidney Lumet, and it starred Nick Nolte and Armand Assante. After Hours was filmed in 1993, but used the title Carlito's Way to avoid being confused with Martin Scorsese's 1985 film After Hours. The film starred Al Pacino and Sean Penn, under the direction of Brian DePalma. The novel Carlito's Way was filmed in 2005 and released under the title Rise to Power.

Edwin Torres continues to work as both a judge and writer. His Q & A and After Hours novels are currently out of print, though Carlito's Way has recently been reprinted as a movie tie-in with Rise to Power.