Man behind bars wearing mask
Photo by Charles Chen on Unsplash

Criminal Justice Clinic: Seeking Parole and Compassionate Releases During Covid

CJC student-attorneys are working on a variety of compassionate release, parole, and other criminal legal system matters. CJC has had several clients recently released after serving many years of their sentences, at a time when COVID-19 is surging in prisons and every day incarcerated can be a death sentence.

Student teams have written a number of release motions, which are currently pending in DC Superior Court. One team was hard at work preparing their motion for compassionate release when they saw an opportunity to do informal advocacy that could get their client released more quickly. They moved on this and won his immediate release. Although this was enormously significant for their client, the immediate order for release from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) meant they then had to pivot quickly to help the client get emergency medical assistance that the BOP failed to put in place. Their continued work with the client after his release is an excellent illustration of the type of holistic defense approach that CJC seeks to instill in its student-attorneys.

In July 2020, clinic students obtained parole for a 71 year old client who had served over 43 years in Maryland prisons on a life sentence for a felony murder conviction. Maryland prisoners are not entitled to representation in parole proceedings, and this success followed 10 previous hearings where the client was not released, despite having received no infractions over the past 21 years, obtaining a college degree while incarcerated, and participating in numerous self-help and mentoring programs. Student attorneys Alyson Eller and Brendan Lokka most recently represented this client, submitted a parole packet to the Maryland Parole Commission, and prepared this client for his hearing. Other student attorneys in this multi-year effort include alums Dia Bhatia, Nicole Huffman, Joseph Kerins, Bridget Lynn, Hannah Roberts, and Shaya Tavaf.

Another clinic client, who was convicted of a homicide, is one of the youngest juvenile lifers in Maryland (based on age at sentencing). At a parole hearing this summer, he successfully made it thru the first stage of parole in Maryland, with many steps to follow. His case is ongoing. Student attorneys Alyson Eller and Brendan Lokka most recently represented this client and submitted a parole packet to the Maryland Parole Commission on his behalf. Other student attorneys in this multi-year effort include alums Christal Benton, Sara Fairchild, Allen Liu, and Sarah West.