February News
Case, Community, & DREAM News
Case News
Mr. S’s defense team successfully challenged an allegation that he committed new criminal conduct, possession of a firearm by a prohibited possessor, while on supervised release. Although the government was only required to prove that the conduct occurred by a preponderance of the evidence, the court found that the government failed to meet their burden. The defense investigated the case, cross examined the government’s witness, and presented its own witness to show there was no evidence that Mr. S had constructive possession of the firearm at issue. The defense team included Seattle AFD Leo Costales, Seattle Investigator Debra Malcolm, and Seattle Paralegals Patricia Stordeur, Suzie Strait, and Thomas Tallerico.
On February 20, 2026, the district court granted our client’s motion for compassionate release. The court sentenced him in 2013 to 240 months’ imprisonment and eight years of supervised release after his convictions on gun, drug, and witness tampering offenses. The court concluded our client had met his burden of establishing that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) was not providing specialized medical care necessary to treat his type 1 diabetes and that, as a result, he has suffered serious harm. The court further agreed that, despite our client’s long criminal history, any risk to the community could be adequately mitigated by supervision. The court granted a sentence reduction to time served and ordered our client’s release. He was represented by Chief Appellate Attorney Vicki Lai, and our Community Resources Case Manager Annabelle Mirhashemi assisted with the release plan.
On February 18, 2026, the district court granted our client’s writ of habeas corpus. Our client, an Iranian citizen, was ordered removed to Iran after incurring several criminal convictions but granted withholding of removal to Iran in 2018. Our client was re-detained in ICE detention for over six months, and the court agreed the government failed to rebut the defense’s showing that that there was no good reason to believe that his removal to a third country was likely to occur in the reasonably foreseeable future. The court held our client’s continued detention was no longer authorized by statute, it violated due process, and he must be immediately released. Our client was represented by Chief Appellate Attorney Vicki Lai.
On February 19, 2026, the district court granted our client’s writ of habeas corpus. Our client, an Iranian citizen, came to the US as a refugee in 2003 and was ordered removed to Iran in 2007 after incurring two criminal convictions. After failing to secure a travel document from Iran, our client was released on an order of supervision in 2007 until he was arrested and taken into ICE custody in June 2025. The court agreed that habeas relief was warranted given our client’s indefinite detention and ordered his immediate release. Our client was represented by Chief Appellate Attorney Vicki Lai.
On February 23, 2026, the district court granted our client’s writ of habeas corpus. Our client was born in what is now the Republic of Kazakhstan, but which at the time of his birth was part of the USSR. He arrived in the United States as a refugee and was later granted lawful permanent resident status, but he was ordered removed to Kazakhstan in 1998 after being convicted of a criminal offense that became “a charge for deportation.” After his application for asylum was denied, his removal order became final in 2003, but he was ordered released on an order of supervision after ICE could not secure a travel document from Kazakhstan. Although our client had diligently followed his release conditions, ICE arrested him during an immigration-related operation in October 2025. The court found that our client’s re-detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release. Our client was represented by Chief Appellate Attorney Vicki Lai.
The office represented a grandmother who had been lived in the United States since 2017 and had been granted deferral of removal to her home country because she had been sex trafficked by a gang there. After nearly a year and a half in custody, a federal judge ordered her released on bond. Our client was represented by Seattle AFD Ann Wagner.
Community News
The M3 Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Washington hosted Constitution Day for the fifth-grade classes of Jennie Reed Elementary School at the Tacoma Courthouse on February 26, 2026. Originally designed as a way 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 visit by Judge Cristel and Seattle AFD Colleen Fitzharris to the school, 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, one class voted to convict while the other class voted to acquit the defendant. The students also toured the courthouse and attended a presentation by the U.S. Marshals Service.
A Tacoma AFD, Seattle AFD Colleen Fitzharris, and Seattle Paralegals Marissa Lock and Janet Stanton volunteered to help students.
DREAM News
Two FPD clients graduated from DREAM in February. C faced charges for adulterating a drug that she had access to through her work in a veterinarian office. J faced drug trafficking charges. Both had long-standing substance use disorders and other issues that made their recovery less certain: family pressure, trauma, grief, and mental illness. Both C and J faced their substance use disorders head on and worked hard to make many positive changes to their lives. They engaged in other therapy, built strong sober support networks, and found strength they did not know was possible. They formed true friendships with each other and other DREAM participants. We are sad to see them go, and we are thrilled for their success in DREAM and in their lives.
March News
Case, Staff, Community, & Intern News
Case News
Case Dismissed!
Our client was charged with entering the United States illegally but, the week before trial, the government dismissed all charges. Our client is now back home, which is wonderful news! They were represented by the trial team of Seattle Attorney Adriane Manigo, Seattle AFD Greg Murphy, and Seattle Paralegal Megan Blumm.
In March, the office successfully litigated 11 immigration detention cases, resulting in ten detainees being released and one obtaining a bond hearing from an immigration judge. Here are some of their summaries:
Our client won asylum in immigration court, but ICE refused to release him. With the assistance of our office, he filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, leading to a court order for his immediate release.
Mr. M was released in an immigration habeas case on the court's finding that the government had not shown removal to Ukraine was likely in the reasonably foreseeable future, through the efforts of Tacoma Research & Writing Attorney Alan Zarky and Tacoma Paralegal Alma Coria.
Staff News
Tacoma AFD Becky Fish and Seattle AFD Greg Geist taught Criminal Procedure: Investigation for the Winter 2026 quarter at the University of Washington School of Law. The course focused on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. The students learned a lot, and the attorneys had a lot of fun teaching.
Community News
Constitution Day was held at our Seattle Courthouse.
The Tacoma School of the Arts Mock Trial team, coached by Pierce County Department of Assigned County Attorney Amanda Danforth and Tacoma AFD Heather Carroll, competed in the regional YMCA mock-trial competition at the Pierce County Courthouse. The case this year, “Cell to Cell,” written by Pierce County District Court Judge Lizanne Padula, was a criminal case about vehicular assault. The kids worked incredibly hard, were enthusiastic and creative, and did a great job presenting their case and making objections. Unfortunately, the team did not make the state finals this year, but it had some excellent new members and is already looking forward to next year.
Intern News
March is Social Worker Appreciation Month!
Please welcome our legal intern:
