Ethics

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued sweeping pardons forgiving possession of marijuana convictions, following the directive of President Joe Biden, who urged state executives to follow his lead in pardoning low-level marijuana offenses.

It would apply to any adult convictions in Massachusetts state court for simple possession of marijuana. It would not apply to charges of distribution, trafficking or driving under the influence.

Attorney Generals from across the country are urging the Supreme Court to give the “utmost” deference to Oklahoma’s admission and confession of prosecutorial misconduct in the case of Glossip v. Oklahoma, Case No. 22-7477, which resulted in Richard Eugene Glossip’s death sentence. In their amicus brief, the attorney generals are asking the Court to overturn Mr. Glossip’s conviction and death sentence noting “‘confessing error is a momentous step, one that attorneys general never take lightly. . .

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez “engaged in abusive or harassing behavior” constituting a rare finding of judicial misconduct when he ordered a U.S.

Wisconsin man is convicted of murder in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Contrary to his instructions, his lawyer fails to file his appeal. Yikes! He spends the next two decades trying to get the state courts to let him get his appeal. In 2016, they finally give him the thumbs-up. Huzzah! To appeal, he needs a transcript of his trial. Which he tried to get in 1997 but couldn't because he lacked the money. And the court reporter's notes have since been destroyed. Yikes again! State trial court: Given the absence of a transcript, it's only fair he gets a new trial. Huzzah!

Former presidential advisor Steve Bannon refused to comply with a subpoena from the January 6 House select committee, for which he was convicted of contempt of Congress. Bannon: Ah, but the statute requires "willful" disobedience. I may have disobeyed intentionally, but not willfully because my attorney told me not to comply. D.C.

In three and a half years, President Biden has already installed more non-White federal judges than any president in history. His slate of judges is also majority female — another first (article available here).

Pride Month is a celebration of generations of LGBTQI+ people, who have fought bravely to live openly and authentically.

As we celebrate Pride Month, the Training Division recognizes and honors the invaluable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals within Defender Nation. This month, and every month, we acknowledge the importance of diversity, inclusion, and the profound impact that each person has on our collective mission of justice and equity for all.

The Federal Defender Program, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia has selected Natasha Perdew Silas to serve as its next Executive Director.

She has spent more than a quarter-century defending indigent persons accused of federal criminal offenses as a Staff Attorney and then Senior Litigation Attorney with the Atlanta Federal Defender Program.

The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has selected Tara I. Allen to serve as the next Federal Defender for the Districts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island (access press release).

The presence of Black men serving as active judges on the federal appellate courts has stalled in the past 10 years, even as President Joe Biden has prioritized demographic diversity in his judicial nominations and almost doubled the number of Black women on the circuit courts (access full article).