Case, Staff, Committee, DREAM, & CJA News
Case News
Client Receives Sentence Reduction
Congratulations to our client Mr. C and Tacoma AFD Heather Carroll for this victorious sentence reduction, resulting in him being released after 22 years in custody! After a series of bank robberies, then 23-year-old Mr. C was sentenced in King County to 21 years in prison. Two months later, he was charged in federal court with armed bank robbery. Inexplicably, he pled to a more severe charge in the plea agreement than that contained in the information (7-year mandatory minimum for brandishing vs. 10-year for discharging a gun). The government agreed to recommend a sentence no greater than 84 months, but at sentencing recommended 120 months. At the time, defense counsel not only didn’t object but joined in the recommendation. The court gave him 10 years consecutive to his state sentence, for a total of 31 years. Mr. C is now 45 and was looking at a 2028 release date. Judge Estudillo was persuaded by Heather’s advocacy that, “When one combines C’s age at the time he committed his crimes, the unusually long sentence imposed, the amount of the sentence he has served, C’s rehabilitative efforts over the years, and add to that fact that the Government failed to adhere to its obligation under the plea agreement, that C likely had a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel, and that C has aging parents, C’s circumstances are similar[] in gravity to the age of defendant circumstances contained in 1B1.13(b)(2).” Wonderful news for Mr. C. His close-knit family is excited to welcome him back to their family farm.
Judge Coughenour terminated supervision for DDP, a 23-year-old client who had been involved in the federal criminal legal system since they were 19 years old. Although DDP had some struggles while on supervision, the parties and the court agreed that further supervision was not necessary. DDP has been making strides and is working to start an organization that supports marginalized communities. We celebrate the end of their court involvement and wish them all the best on their journey.
Staff News
Charlotte Ponikvar Retires
This month we celebrated the achievements and well-earned retirement of our beloved colleague, Charlotte Ponikvar. Charlotte retired after 20 years of service as a paralegal in our office. She started her FPD career on November 1, 2004, while our office was still processing a flood of indefinite detainee cases impacted by the historical U.S. Supreme Court decision, Reno et al. v. Kim Ho Ma. Charlotte supported the work of our immigration habeas unit up to her final days in the office. She also created a specialized niche for working with clients to prepare motions for early termination of supervised release (ETSR). Our clients, through their attorneys and advocates such as Charlotte, must present strong arguments that they have earned the court’s trust in order to successfully terminate their supervision by the United States Probation Office. Charlotte’s ETSR success rate (close to 100%) is a testament to her ability to listen and see our clients beyond their worst mistakes. She developed strong relationships with clients, encouraged them, and helped them gain self-awareness when needed. Charlotte always found time to go above and beyond, backing up her colleagues and filling unmet needs. Yet what we likely will miss most about Charlotte was her constant, steady, and unflappable presence in the office. Her positivity and friendship supported us each day as we faced the challenges of public defense work. We will miss you so much, Charlotte, and wish you all the best in retirement.
Please help us welcome our Non-Capital Fellow
Adriane Manigo joined our office this month as our Non-Capital Fellow. Adriane has been drawn to public defense work since high school, where she took criminal law classes and work study opportunities through her school’s legal studies program. Adriane wrote in her application that “[y]ou could say that I have a soft spot for the underdog, because I know it takes true strength for anyone to even want to fight against a system that they know has already determined they were guilty unless proven innocent. I want to be one more person who fights for true justice and the rights that all are guaranteed in our constitution.”
Adriane went on to graduate from Howard University School of Law, where she worked at its Criminal Justice and Reentry clinics and, with a DC student bar license, represented clients in many misdemeanor cases, as well as in clemency and expungement proceedings: “While working with my clients I was able to see the hardships that come with being involved in the criminal justice system and how a criminal record can really determine the course of someone's life. It was working with those clients that I knew I would always provide zealous advocacy in hopes that I could try my best to prevent others from having their lives dictated by their criminal records instead of their potential.” Adriane worked at the Virginia Beach, VA PD office as she prepared for the bar exam. Welcome Adriane!
Chief investigator Stacey Brownstein led two trainings at this year’s National Association for Public Defense (NAPD) We the Defenders conference, which was held at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Stacey presented on Sentencing and Mitigation Videos and was then joined by former FPD WAW mitigation specialist Daniel Potter-Engelskirger, who is now at the Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc., to present on Navigating Uncomfortable Client Conversations, a Team Approach. This conference is specifically designed for non-attorney public defender staff and was attended by 240 core staff members from state and federal defender offices around the country.
Our office organized a night of the Tacoma Rainiers’ game. It was a homerun!
Committee News
On August 18, our office’s Equity & Inclusion Committee hosted a brunch for FPD staff, friends, family, and some very cute pups at Marination at Alki Beach. It was a beautiful summer day that offered a chance to come together for some fun outside the office while promoting the mission of the Equity & Inclusion Committee, which is to help our office provide all people with respect, equitable treatment, inclusion, and belonging. The Committee recognizes that racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and many forms of bias and oppression impact us and our work—both in how we represent clients and in how we work in the office as a team. Finding time to connect with one another outside of working hours was refreshing, fun, and supportive. We look forward to our next gathering!
DREAM News
LM graduated from DREAM, sailing through the program in 12 months. LM was charged with theft of government funds for her misappropriation of money from a job. While she made DREAM look effortless, we know that she worked tirelessly. LM was committed to her sobriety, her work, and her family, including her four children. We have confidence that LM will continue on her positive path, and we share in her gratitude for DREAM and the opportunities it provided.
CJA News
We are currently accepting applications for the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel for felony cases and to the CJA Mentor Program, which provides structured, paid opportunities for seasoned criminal defense attorneys to gain exposure to federal practice. The application is available on our website. Applications are due October 25, 2024. Questions may be submitted to jennifer_kaplan@fd.org.
We’re hosting a virtual open house for prospective applicants to learn more about the CJA Panel and Mentor Program on Tuesday, October 2, 2024, at noon. We will discuss the selection process, requirements for the mentor program, compensation, and more. Here is the Zoom information:
https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1617880656?pwd=2NfNBHS3J6uHZbr92Lh2whaRdVDlK6.1
Passcode: 265562