Case, DREAM, CJA & Intern News!
Case News:
In January 2019, Ms. H’s father passed away. The Social Security Administration continued to deposit money into the account Ms. H shared with her father for approximately one and a half years after his death. In 2022, she received a target letter accusing her of theft of government funds. After the FPD was appointed, Seattle investigator Mahkaea Jackson-Sams and chief paralegal Patricia Stordeur looked into whether the death of Ms. H’s father had been reported to the Social Security Administration and sought documentation of that report. They discovered that just three weeks before his death, Washington implemented a new online death reporting system. The funeral home had reported the death using this system, but the SSA’s electronic database had not been updated. The FPD team uncovered audit reports by the Office of the Inspector General documenting systemic problems with SSA electronic recordkeeping, which did not reflect death reports submitted through State online reporting systems. When presented with this information, the government decided not to pursue criminal charges against Ms. H. She was overjoyed by the news and plans to repay the money owed and close this terrible chapter. Congrats to Ms. H and amazing work by her defense team!
After receiving a sentence much below what the government was seeking, our client, Mr. H expressed his gratitude to his defense team. Mr. H shared that he felt that his team accurately told the court of his struggles, his story, and his overall successes. Mr. H left the court room feeling like he was embarking on a new beginning, with support by his side. Wonderful and hard fought outcome for our client and phenomenal work by Mr. H’s defense team, Seattle paralegal Janet Stanton and Seattle AFD Sara Brin!
Our Client Mr. J was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and possession of multiple firearms on two separate dates while on state probation for a prior felony. Facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and advisory guideline sentence of 211-248 months, FPD social worker and mitigation specialist Daniel Potter-Engelskirger worked closely with Mr. J to reconstruct and document his personal history and substance dependency dating to a childhood of neglect and abuse. Mr. J’s attorney, Colin Fieman, was then able to persuade the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enter into a plea agreement with a reduced charge and Government sentencing recommendation capped at 10 years (120) months in prison. At the sentencing hearing, Mr. J’s defense team advocated for a sentence of six years (72 months) in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release. After careful consideration of all the mitigating factors, the Judge followed that recommendation. With credit for time served and “good time,” Mr. J can look forward to being at a half-way house or on home confinement, engaging with community support services and reunited with his family in just a few years. Great outcome for Mr. J and wonderful work by Daniel and Colin!
DREAM News:
Another DREAM participant graduated in January. M. is a young college student who turned to drugs as a way to manage his anxiety. He quickly found himself selling drugs to support his own habit and faced federal criminal prosecution for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He pleaded guilty to a charge that carried a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, but that charge was dismissed upon his successful completion of DREAM. M has also graduated from treatment and expects to graduate from college this spring. We wish him a happy, healthy future!
CJA News:
On January 26, FPD hosted a full-day training on representing clients charged with child pornography offenses. It was a multidisciplinary program with speakers with a range of expertise including law, social work, psychology, and forensic investigation. Three FPD staff and a CJA Panel attorney presented at the CLE. FPD’s Dan Potter-Engelskirger explained how to incorporate social work skills into navigating difficult conversations with clients. Chief investigator Stacey Brownstein explained the functionality and limitations of Cellebrite cell phone extractions. Assistant Federal Defender Vanessa Pai-Thompson explained how to use the categorical approach to challenge sentencing predicates in c.p. cases. CJA lawyer and professor of professional responsibility Brooks Holland used hypotheticals to lead a discussion about thorny issues that could arise in these cases. The audience also heard from Dr. Marty Klein, whose research includes whether c.p. clients present a danger of committing hands-on offenses, and Probation personnel Patrick Robertson and Matthew McDaniel, who fielded questions about conditions of supervision.
Intern News:
Legal Intern:
Undergrad Intern:
Rylan Gondinez (they/them) is currently a sophomore at the University of Washington and is an undergraduate intern at the Federal Public Defender’s Office. They are majoring in sociology. They have previously worked at an immigration defense firm. Outside of school, they bake, read, and cook.
