J u d g e J a c k s o n i s o ne of t h e m o s t q ua l ...

[Pages:35]LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM 1000+ CURRENT AND FORMER PUBLIC DEFENDERS FROM ALL 50 STATES, DC, PR, GU, AND VI

March 22, 2022

Dear Senators,

As current and former public defenders, we write to express our enthusiastic support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States and to urge you to confirm her without delay.

Judge Jackson is one of the most qualified Supreme Court nominees in history. She clerked at all three levels of our federal courts and would join Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the only sitting justices who have served as both district and circuit court judges. Judge Jackson would bring more trial judge experience than any Supreme Court justice in nearly 100 years, and for the past year, she has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which the legal profession has long considered the second highest court in the country. She was confirmed by the Senate to both judgeships, as well as to her position as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, by bipartisan votes. Judge Jackson has demonstrated through her nearly ten years as a judge that she is fair, impartial, and evenhanded, rendering decisions by applying the facts and the law.

While Judge Jackson's impeccable credentials and reputation fit the traditional bill for Supreme Court nominees, she also would bring a unique asset to the Court if she is confirmed: she would be the first-ever public defender justice and the first justice with significant criminal defense experience since Justice Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991.

Indeed, Judge Jackson's professional diversity and unique perspective were important considerations for President Biden. According to the New York Times, her background as a public defender made her an "appealing" choice for the president, and the Washington Post reported that her public defense and Sentencing Commission experience demonstrated to him her "compassion and firsthand experience understanding the human consequences of judicial decisions." As Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe described, Judge Jackson's public defense experience "spoke to [the president] in an important way" because the president ? himself a former public defender ? understood "just what that meant and why it gave her a distinctive perspective."

We agree that Judge Jackson's firsthand experience as a public defender will be an incalculable asset to a Court that has lacked this critical perspective for too long. She herself has spoken about how her public defense experience has helped her understand and ensure that the accused must have a clear understanding of the process, what they are accused of doing, and the reasons for the sentence imposed, in order for the system to function properly.

A public defender justice also would send an important message especially to young and aspiring lawyers about the type of legal experience our country values. Too often, past presidents have communicated through their Supreme Court nominations that in order to be appointed to the nation's highest Court, a lawyer should spend his or her career working at a corporate law firm or as a prosecutor. By confirming Judge Jackson, you would make clear that you believe defending the rights of people who cannot afford a lawyer is just as valuable as representing the rich and powerful.

As public defenders, we share our excitement at seeing someone whose career reflects our own being elevated to the Supreme Court. We hold a steadfast commitment to the rule of law and defending constitutional rights for all, and we believe profoundly that criminal defense experience is sorely needed on the Court. Judge Jackson is precisely the person to bring that experience, and we implore you to promptly confirm her nomination.

Sincerely,

*Public defender offices are included for identification purposes only

Ross Abbott Princess Abby Ingrid Abello Laura Ginsberg Abelson Chauntilia Adaway Lindsay Adler Andrea Africano Romina Aghai Mohammed Ahmed Huda Ajlani Macri Craig Albee Andrea Aldana Alejandro Almanzan Okechukwu Amadi Patricia Anders David Anderson Cynthia L. Anderson Kristen Anderson Katie Anderson

Richland County Public Defender, 2019-Present Southern District of Mississippi , 2019-Present Office of the Public Defender, 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida, 2006-Present Office of the Federal Public Defender (D. Md.), 2015-Present Federal Defenders Office Middle District of Georgia , 2012-Present Richland County Public Defender Office, 2018-Present 15th Judicial Circuit, 2020-Present Los Angeles County Public Defender, 2005-Present Eastern District of Missouri, 2018-Present Federal Public Defender, Southern District of Florida, 2006-Present Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, Inc., 2011-Present Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Texas, 2021-Present Western District of Texas-El Paso , 2008-Present Office of the Public Defender State of Hawaii, 2007-Present Mountain Law, LLC, 2012 - Present Kanawha County Public Defender Office, Charleston, WV, 1916-Present West Palm Beach Public Defender, 2020-Present Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 2021 - Present Office of the State Appellate Defender (Illinois), 2017-Present

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Alexandra Antonacci John Appelbaum Jr. Babatunde Aremu Zoe Aron Luis Asprino Angela Audie Joe Austin Tony Axam Kathryn Bach Maitreya Badami Zawadi Baharanyi Dale Baich Sheryl Bailey Rachel Baker Adam Ballout Dipona Bandy Sophia Barilone Becky Barlow A. Wellington Barlow Celia Barrientes David Barron Duane Barron Michelle Bartov Adeel Bashir Amanda Bass Elyse Bataller-Schneider George Batek Kathryn Batey Sarah Baumgartel Jennifer Beck Abigail Becker

Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office, 2016 - Present PCR/Appellate Office Eastern District , 2017 (intern) The Bronx Defenders, 2018-Present DeKalb County Public Defender's Office, 2021-Present State of Florida Public Defender's Office 15th Judicial Circuit, 2015-Present Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office, 2020-Present Federal Defender Program (NDGA), 2014-Present D.C. Federal Public Defender, 1996-Present 1988-2022 Contra Costa (CA), 1999-2004 Federal Defenders of New York, 2017-Present 1988-2022 3 years Cook County Public Defender, 2003-Present Washington State Office of Public Defense , 2007-Present Brooklyn Defender Services, 2019-Present 3 years 16th and 4th Judicial Circuit Public Defender Offices of Florida, 1993-1998 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida , 1986-1988 Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office, 1989-2022 Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Capital Post-conviction Unit, 2003-Present Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, Staunton Public Defender's Office, 2005-Present Michelle S. Bartov, Attorney at Law, LLC, 2016-Present Federal Public Defender, Middle District of Florida, 2012-Present Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona, 2016-Present Federal Public Defender-Western District of Texas, 2011-Present Missouri State Public Defender District 12, 1993-2004, 2018-Present Maryland, 2013-Present Federal Defenders of New York, Inc., 2008-2016, 2016-Present Office of the Federal Public Defender, District of Colorado, 2013-Present Federal Public Defender for the the Southern District of Florida, 2012-Present

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Cristina Becker Jake Bedsaul Henry Bell Emily Bell Fred Bell Thomas Bell Christopher Bellmore Cheryll Bennett James Bensfield Katherine Berger Gregory Berger Janice Bergmann Alison Bermant Joshua Bernstein David Bernstein Robert Berube Elizabeth Blair Taua Blockson Oscar Bobrow Joseph Bodiford Charlotte Bogan Shon Bogar Lou Ann Bohn Erin Bolinger Isai Bonilla Wilfredo Bonilla Jr Robert Boruchowitz Caroline Bourland Cody Bradford Jessica Brand Ramona Brandes

Federal Public Defenders-Norfolk, 2013-2016; 2021-Present Missouri State Public Defender, 2019-Present Southern District Florida , 1999-2005 Wisconsin Office of the Public Defender- Assigned Counsel Division, 2017-Present State Appellate Defender Office, 1984-2003 Office of The Public Defender 4th Judicial Circuit Florida-Cja panel, 1986-1991 Federal Public Defender of North Dakota, 2015-Present Federal Public Defender, Southern District of Ohio, 1999-Present D.C. Public Defender Service, 1974 - 1980 Missouri State Public Defender, 2020-Present 13 years Federal Public Defender for the the Southern District of Florida, 1996-Present Santa Cruz County California, 1999-2002 Office of the State Appellate Defender , 2013-Present Office of the Appellate Defender, 2006-Present Federal Defender Office, Southern District of Florida, , 1985-Present SDFL, 2013-Present Baltimore County, 2020-2022 Solano County, 1986-Present Appointed Conflict Counsel, Second Circuit of Florida, 2015 Arkansas Public Defender Commission, 2015 - Present 13 years Wisconsin State Public Defender, 2003-2019 South and North Dakota, 2013-2018, 2021-Present Palm Beach Public Defender's Office-15th Circuit, 2021-Present Federal Public Defender's Office- Norfolk, VA, 2015-Present Defender Association of Seattle, 1974-2006. Office of the State Appellate Defender, 2005-Present Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit, 2020-Present Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, 2008-2015 King County Department of Public Defense, 1996-Present

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Melody Brannon Chalet Braziel John Brennan T.J. Brewer KC Bridges T. Scott Brisendine Renee Brodsky Carmen Brooks Rosana Brown Jennifer Brown Lauren Brown Adam Brown Lisa Brown Williams Zoe Bruck Brenda Bryn A. Zachary Buchanan Samantha Buckingham Jacqueline Bullard Brandon Bullard Michael Bunda Derwyn Bunton Julia Burke Lindsey Burrows Aaron Butler Mary Butterton Jeffrey Byers Laura Byrum Marisa Cabrera Yasmin Cader

Jacob Cairns Dawn Calvin

Federal Public Defender, District of Kansas, 1990-Present Arizona Federal Public Defender, 2012-Present Chemung County (NY) Public Advocate's Office, 2006-Present Santa Cruz Public Defender's Office, 2012 to Present Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, 2020-Present Arkansas Public Defender's Commission, 1995-Present Maryland Office of the Public Defender, 1999-Present Federal Defender Program Northern District of Georgia , 2012-Present Federal Public Defender's Office for the Central District of Illinois, 2014-Present Federal Defenders of New York , 1994-Present Law Office of the Public Defender DeKalb County, Georgia, 2012-2020 Paulding Public Defender's Office, 2014-2016 District of the Virgin Islands, 1996-Present Richland County, 2014-Present Southern District of Florida , 1990-Present Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona, 2020 ? Present Public Defender Service of D.C., 2003-2008, 2008-2021 Illinois Juvenile Defender Resource Center, 1997 to Present Ga. Public Defender Council, Appellate Division, 2007?2020 Richland County Public Defender's Office, 2019-Present Orleans Public Defenders, 2009-Present Maryland Office of the Public Defender, 2014-Present Oregon Office of Public Defense Services, Appellate Division, 2011-2017 Western District of Texas , 2015-Present Federal Public Defender- District of Colorado, 2010-Present Federal Public Defender Western District of Oklahoma , 199-2002, 2010-Present Federal Public Defender, SDOH, 2003-2005, 2007-Present Federal Defenders of New York, Southern District, 2019-Present Federal Defenders of New York, 1994-2005 Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Ohio, Capital Habeas Unit, 2010-Present Missouri State Public Defender's Office, 2015-Present

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Amy Campanelli Giovanni J Canino Allison Carpenter Dennis Carroll Michael Carter Sarah Carter Michael Caruso Candace Caruthers Andrew Casanave Fidel Cassino-DuCloux Marjorie Castillo Francisco Celedonio Allison Chan George Chaney Angela Chang Paige Chapman Scott Charlton James Chavez

Seth Chazin

Davina Chen Amy Cheng Alexis Chernow Kati-Jane Childs Imani Chiphe Erica Choi Matthew Christiana Kelly Christl Jimmy Chu Stephen Chu Angela Chuang

Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, 2015-2021 District of Puerto Rico, 13 years Office of the Public Defender for Arlington (VA), 2009-Present Western District of Washington, 2008-Present Federal Community Defender of the EDMI, 2011-Present New Hampshire Public Defender's Office, 2020-Present FPD Southern District of Florida , 1997-Present Federal Defender for Colorado and Wyoming, 2019-2022 Louisiana 14th JDC Public Defender's Office, 1994-Present Oregon, 2006 Maryland Office of the Public Defender , 2020- Present FPD Hawaii, 2014-2021 Orange County Public Defender, 2013-Present Federal Public Defender Southern District of Ohio, 2003-Present Hamilton County Public Defender, 2008-2010, 2015-Present Off of Defense Services - Delaware, 2018-Present Jefferson Associated Counsel, 2002-Present Federal Defenders of San Diego (former officer), 2007-2020 Office of the State Public Defender of California; Solano County (CA) Public Defender's Office, !988-1995, 1995-1996 Sentencing Resource Counsel, Federal Public & Community Defenders, 1999-2013, 2020-Present Alameda County Public Defender's Office, 2014-Present Orleans Public Defenders, 2014-Present Maryland OPD, 2022 1996-Present Office of the Federal Public Defender, 2015-Present Center for Appellate Litigation, 2020-Present Federal Defender District of Colorado, 2000-2014, 2016-Present Los Angeles County Public Defender, 2012-Present Office of the Appellate Defender, 2018-Present Federal Public Defender, ND Cal, 2013-Present

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Peter Chung Yoori Chung Katy Cimino Milagros Cisneros Jazmyn Clark Julian Claudio Victoria Clausell

William Clay Jeremy Clemans Barrie Click MiAngel Cody Jennifer Niles Coffin Hannah Coffman Tyson Cole KenDrell Collins William Collins Terri Collins-Green Anthony Colton Latisha Colvin Jennifer Congdon Joseph Connelly Amanda Conner Jessie Conover Katrina Conrad-Legler Herschella Conyers Katherine Cooper Abe Copi Danielle Karalis Corrado Jercoryia Council Abbee Cox Celia Cratch

Los Angeles County, 2005-Present Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, 2020-Present Northern District of West Virginia, 2009-Present Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona, 2002-Present City of Spokane Public Defender's Office, 2015-2021 Sociedad para Asistencia Legal de Puerto Rico, 2003-Present Committee For Public Counsel, 2022-Present Miami Dade County Fl Public defenders Office & now SDFL cja Panel attorney , 1973-1978 New Hampshire Public Defender, 2007--Present Public Defender Office - 9th Judicial Circuit, Fl, 2007 - Present Northern District of Illinois (former AFPD) , 2008-2017 Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, Inc., 2004-Present Staunton/Lexington Virginia Public Defender's Office, 2019-2022 (intern), 2022-Present Missouri State Public Defender-St. Louis City, 2020-Present Eastern District of Arkansas, 2019-Present Multiple Offices, 2010-Present Maryland, 11 years Texas Western District, 2017-Present Federal Defenders- Southern District of Alabama, 2005-Present Dakota County (MN), 2014-Present 1996-Present Norfolk VA-Federal Public Defender's Office, 2006-Present New Hampshire Public Defender, 2021-Present Western District of Oklahoma, 2021- Present Cook County Public Defender Office, Chicago, IL, 1986-1993 New Hampshire Public Defender, 1996-2004 and 2006-2008 Missouri State Public Defender's Office, 2019-Present Missouri State Public Defender, 2014-Present Palm Beach County Public Defender, 2022-Present (intern) Orleans Public Defenders, 2019-Present Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office, 2012-Present

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Jessica Crockett

The State of Florida Office of the Public Defender 15th Judicial Circuit, 2017-Present

Alan Cronheim

New Hampshire Public Defenders, 1981-1989

Peggy Cross-Goldenberg Federal Defenders of New York, Inc. , 2003-2004, 2007-Present

Kenneth Crouch

Center for Appellate Litigation, 2014-2017; 2020-Present

Elisabeth Culpepper

Suffolk Public Defender's Office, 2014-Present

Deneka Cummings-Garcia Office of the Public Defender, 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida, 2005-2009

Angela Cunningham

Wisconsin State Public Defenders, 2021 - Present

Tashika Curlee

New Mexico Law Office of the Public Defender, 2019-Present

Emily Dahm

San Francisco Public Defender's Office, 2007-2016

Raymond Dall'Osto

State Public Defender Offices in Racine and Milwaukee, 1977-78, 1980-1990

Theresa Dalton

Connecticut Public Defenders-Waterbury CT, 1989-Present

Wagner Dantas

Maryland Office of Public Defender , (2003-2008), (2012-2018), (2022-Present)

Marilena David

State Appellate Defender Office, 2009-Present

Kristin Davidson

Western District of Texas, 2012-Present

Richard Davies

Jefferson Associated Counsel, 1994-Present

Jordan Davis

Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, 2017-Present

Sarah Davis

Committee for Public Counsel Services, 2007-2012

Jennifer Davis

Richland County, 2006-2022

Linda Day

12 years

Damien de Loyola

Missouri State Public Defender-Area 69 Appellate/Postconviction, 2012-Present

Megan De Vorsey

New Hampshire Public Defender, 1989-2000, 2015-2018, 2022-Present

Andrea Dechenne Bergman Federal Public Defender for the District of NJ, 1997-Present

Jordan Deckenbach

Federal District of Wyoming, 2012-Present

David Delyea

Canyon County Public Defender, 2019-Present

Hope Demer

Richland County Public Defender, 2020-Present

Aisha Dennis

2020-Present

Patrick Devitt

Office of the Wisconsin State Public Defender, 1979-2006

Susanna DeWese

Chester County Public Defender's Office , 2003- Present

Dezha Dial

Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit, 2020-Present

Kelley Dial

Cherokee Judicial Circuit, Georgia, 2005-Present

Daniel Ditaranto

15th Judicial Circuit of Florida, 2019-Present

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