Case, Staff, & Intern News
Case News
Client Receives Sentence Reduction
On September 9, 2024, the district court granted our client’s request for a sentence reduction. Our 63-year old client was serving a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and had served just half of that sentence. The court agreed with the defense team—Chief Appellate attorney Vicki Lai, Seattle AFPD Greg Geist, and Seattle paralegal Janet Stanton—that the client’s medical conditions, including severe untreated osteoarthritis in his right hip and The Bureau of Prison’s mismanagement of his pain resulting from the prolonged delay in his treatment justified his early release. The client is now reunited with his loving family and getting his long delayed surgery. Wonderful news for our client and great work by his defense team!
On September 9, 2024, the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s denial of consolidated amended habeas petitions filed by Chief Appellate attorney Vicki Lai and CJA panel attorney Jonathan Solovy. The Ninth Circuit agreed that the district court erred in dismissing the clients’ (husband and wife) habeas petitions and that they were entitled to an evidentiary hearing on the merits of their ineffective-assistance-of-trial counsel claims. As a result of the appellate victory, the clients will have their day in court on their claims that their respective counsel were ineffective at trial and sentencing, resulting in 20-year exceptional sentences for the first time offenders in state court.
Staff News
Our office celebrated the end of summer with a day together at Lost Lake!
Tacoma AFDs Heather Carroll and Lindsay McCaslin decompressed by going apple picking!
Intern News
Meet our Fall Legal Intern:
My name is Kristen Ferkich and I am a 3L at Seattle University School of Law. I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. At SU, I serve as the Chair of the Moot Court Board and am also a general member of the Dispute Resolution Board, Asian Law Student Association, and the Filipino Law Student Association. I completed my undergraduate education at Washington State University where I double majored in Political Science and Comparative Ethnic Studies with a Philosophy minor.
This past summer, I was a certified legal intern at the San Diego County Public Defender's Office on the Felony team, where I represented clients during felony arraignments and bail reviews. I went to law school with a desire to serve in the public interest sector. I have always been a zealous advocate for societal change and justice and at the FPD, I am looking forward to being in a space where that drive is celebrated and encouraged. Additionally, I am eager to further expand my legal knowledge through working on a variety of cases while at the FPD. A fun fact about me that my resume would never reveal is that I have my black belt in Taekwondo! Outside of law school, I love going on runs around the beautiful lakes in Seattle, dancing, and watching scary movies!
Meet our 2024-2025 MSW Interns:
Meet our Fall Undergrad Interns:
