Case, Staff, DREAM, Community & Intern News
Case News
After thoughtful consideration of a mitigation package presented by our office, the Government has decided against prosecuting our client, J. J. had received a target letter from the Government to let him know that the Government intended to prosecute him for a workplace offense. Our office identified and retained an expert who was able to put J’s behavior into context, and the Government ultimately agreed the prosecution was unnecessary. We are thrilled for J., who can now put this chapter behind him, and his family.
Staff News
During the last week of October, lawyers, paralegals, and case managers from our office attended the Racial Justice Conference in Montgomery, Alabama, hosted by the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD).
They were engrossed during the opening plenary speech by Anthony Ray Hinton, who was wrongfully imprisoned for decades on Alabama’s death row. They were humbled by Mr. Hinton’s admonition that we must do better than his own public defender, who dismissed Mr. Hinton’s rightful claim of innocence and nearly got him killed by the state.
They attended workshops on challenging racial bias through motions practice, using intergenerational conversations to dismantle systemic racism, culturally relevant interviewing practices for immigration practices, the constitutional right to family integrity, using positive language in juvenile justice, unpacking unconscious bias in public defender offices, and rejecting white fragility.
They toured the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, established by the Equal Justice Initiative, and learned about this country’s legacy of kidnapping, enslaving, lynching, segregating, and incarcerating African and Black people. But they also heard these institutions’ call to action: justice is a constant struggle, and racial justice is all of our work.
On the last day of the conference, they were inspired by Bryan Stevenson, a world-renowned criminal defense lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Mr. Stevenson told the participants, “We’ve got to push against all of those voices of fear and injustice. We’ve got to stay close to the people we serve and the communities we are trying to protect. It’s only when we’re close that we hear the things we need to hear. It’s when we get isolated that we get confused about what we need to do. A lot of the policies are created in that distant place and they become bad policies. We need to insist on that proximity.”
Seattle paralegal Janet Stanton and Seattle investigator Deb Malcolm presented “Telling Your Client’s Story Through Videos” to a group of paralegals, investigators, and attorneys who attended a Washington Defender Association (WDA) training held at the Courtyard Marriot in Tacoma, Washington on October 11, 2024. Approximately one hundred attendees joined the presentation in person and live stream; it was well-received, with interest and enthusiasm by state practitioners.
We celebrated Tacoma AFD Elizabeth Sher with a baby shower and luncheon. We look forward to meeting the newest member of our FPD family, soon!
DREAM News
At long last, we have expanded the diversion program for people with substance use disorders (DREAM) to include people with more criminal history. The other requirements remain the same, including that a person’s charges are connected to their substance use disorder. This expansion has taken years of effort from a large group of people, and we are thrilled that more people can receive needed services and avoid prison sentences. To learn more about the program, check out Probation’s website: Drug Reentry Alternative Model (DREAM), Western District of Washington. If you have questions about the program, please reach out to your lawyer if you have one or Corey Endo (corey_endo@fd.org).
DREAM Graduation!
T.G., graduated from DREAM in October. Mr. G. had used his position at FedEx to steal and then resell packages; he used the money to support a 20-year long substance use disorder. Mr. G. brought boundless enthusiasm and commitment to DREAM. He devoted himself to his sobriety and to his community; determined to both address his own substance use disorder, and to help others in his community. He served as a mentor to others in DREAM, volunteered his time to help others in the broader community, and re-defined his life. As he explained upon his graduation, “Recovery has shown me that it is possible to live a life filled with joy and meaning, free from the chains of drugs and alcohol. I’ve learned that if I avoid lying, cheating, and stealing, good things come my way.” We wish you a lifetime of good things coming your way, T.
Community News
The Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington hosted Constitution Day for the fifth-grade class of Orca K-9 at the Seattle Courthouse on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Originally designed to recognize Constitution Day each September, the event brings local fifth-grade classes to federal courthouses to participate in a mock trial; meet judges; attorneys, court staff, and other legal professionals; tour the courthouse, and learn more about the criminal legal system.
After a preparation visit by Judge Evanson and Seattle AFD Colleen Fitzharris on October 3, the two classes visited the courthouse and participated in a mock trial and tour of the building the following week. Each student had an opportunity to participate in a scripted mock trial in the case of People v. Pat Morton. Students performed as judges, bailiffs, defense counsel, prosecutors, witnesses, and jurors. At the end of the trial, the jurors voted to acquit or to find the defendant guilty. Both juries found Pat Morton not guilty! The students also toured the courthouse and attended a presentation by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Stacey Brownstein, Leo Costales, Colleen Fitzharris, Vicki Lai, Adriane Manigo, and Alan Zarky, volunteered to help students with the mock trial. Leo also talked to the students about the importance of public defenders. Another Constitution Day event is scheduled for February 27, 2025 at the Tacoma courthouse with the fifth-grade classes from Jennie Reed Elementary. Additionally, the program will be expanded to include a second Tacoma event in October 2025 with Larchmont Elementary.
Intern News
Marina Nack, an undergraduate intern from the University of Washington’s Sociology Honors program, interned with us from January 2021 through December 2021. In May 2021, Marina graduated with a BA in Sociology. Her dedication and commitment to the FPD mission and our clients inspired her to volunteer following graduation. In January 2022, she was hired as the temporary receptionist for our office. She left our office in May of 2022. Marina was hired by the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD)- ACA Division, as a legal assistant in their Family Division. She hopes this position will be a springboard into future position as a paralegal or investigator. Congratulations Marina!