Case, Staff, DREAM, & Intern News
Case News
Client Sentenced to Time Served!
G.M. was sentenced to time-served following his plea to possession of child pornography. G.M. was arrested at the airport as he was travelling from Europe to Tahiti. His phone was searched by CBP officers and child pornography was found. He was initially charged in state court but his case was then transferred to the federal prosecutors, where he was charged with Transportation of Child Pornography, an offense with a five-year mandatory minimum. G.M. had struggled with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout his life. He also was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. He was a compulsive collector of things, including photos and videos. Of the nearly 500,000 reviewed images on his ten electronic devices, less than 1% consisted of child pornography. While he was aware that there were illegal images on his devices, it was clear that they were not the focus of his collection. He pled guilty to possession of child pornography, an offense with no mandatory minimum. At sentencing, the defense presented reports from an ASD expert; a social work mitigation report prepared by former FPD social worker, Amanda Merfeld; a letter from a former probation officer who was counseling G.M.; and numerous support letters. The court imposed a time served sentence, which accounted for roughly six weeks as G.M. was released on Bond shortly after being arrested. G.M. also received five years of supervised release. G.M. is looking forward to finally returning to Tahiti to join his elderly father. In addition to Amanda, the FPD team included Seattle paralegal Natalya Kim, who is fluent in French and was instrumental in the case, a Seattle investigator, Senior Litigator Dennis Carroll.
Case Dismissed!
Just before trial this month, the government dismissed a DUI charge against our client, A. A was stopped in early 2024 while entering Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Police officers administered field sobriety tests on A, as they suspected he was impaired, and subsequently, arrested him. A’s blood alcohol concentration showed that he was under the legal limit, but the government still charged him with DUI. Soon after our office was appointed to represent A, the trial team discovered that the government destroyed video footage of the traffic stop and arrest. They also found that at least one of the police reports was copied from another case and that several of the reports contained errors on key evidence that allegedly justified A’s arrest. The trial team pushed the government to give them more background information on the officers, including some of their prior reports, to see how widespread these erroneous report writing practices were. The court granted several of the requests, ordered the government to produce more information on the officers, and the government dismissed the case soon afterwards. Congrats to Mr. A and hard-fought win for Seattle AFD Mukund Rathi, Seattle paralegal Megan Blumm and Seattle investigator Chevy Echeverria.
Not Guilty!
After a two-day jury trial and an afternoon of deliberations, a jury acquitted client, Mr. H of pharmacy burglary after the prosecution failed to prove every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Client’s family was present in court throughout the trial, and his wife testified factually and persuasively on his behalf.
The defense team consisted of Seattle AFD Greg Murphy, Non-Capital Fellow Adriane Manigo, Seattle paralegal Natalya Kim, and Chief Investigator Stacey Brownstein, with substantial assistance from research and writing specialist Alan Zarky and Seattle paralegal Megan Blum. Congratulations to Mr. H and his family!
Staff News
Welcome our New Administrative Officer, Joel Spears!
Joel Spears has joined our office as the Administrative Officer/ Director of Operations. Joel was previously the Administrative Director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and has extensive experience in finance and budget, regulatory compliance, human resources, and strategic planning. Originally from Scotland, Joel has an MA in theology from the University of Glasgow and is enthusiastic about managing complex operations in support of public interest missions. In his application for the position, he shared that “I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to work with the Federal Public Defender’s Office because of its commitment to justice and the critical role it plays in defending the constitutional rights of individuals. I am eager to bring my administrative expertise to support your office’s mission and ensure that its operations are conducted with the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness.” Welcome Joel!
In December, Our office celebrated the winter holidays together with a potluck gathering, karaoke, and a white elephant gift exchange!
DREAM News
Two DREAM participants graduated in December. AM was charged for her role in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. She faced an advisory guideline range of 51-63 months. Although she struggled to maintain sobriety at the beginning of her time in DREAM, she flourished in a sober housing community. She was able to live with her daughter, complete treatment, and find sustainable work. Most impressively, she stayed sober in the face of family tragedies and stress.
JR was charged with possession of stolen mail, a crime she committed to afford her methamphetamine misuse. Like her parents before her, JR had a long history of her substance use disorder. As she wrote in her graduation assignment, she “learned how to approach life differently” through her time in DREAM. Rather than using “some sort of substance to numb [her] pain and to forget about certain things that caused any trauma,” she is facing those things head on. We wish AM and JR all the best as they continue moving forward on their hard-earned, well-deserved paths.
Intern News
Legal Intern Update:
Ethan Greenberg, who is now a 3L at the University of Michigan law school and interned with us as a rising 2L in the summer of 2023 has received and accepted a post-graduation clerkship in Portland, Oregon. Congrats Ethan, we are excited to follow your legal career!