Capital Habeas Representation Meetings
According to an announcement from SueAnn Fitch, CJA Supervising Attorney for the Tenth Circuit, in late October mid-day meetings will be held in Oklahoma City (11:30a-, Petroleum Club, 100 N Broadway , 35th Floor, Tuesday, 10/27/09)and Tulsa (11:30a-, Page Belcher Courthouse, Jury Assembly Lounge, 333 W. Fourth St , Wednesday, 10/28/09) to explore capital habeas representation issues and training in the 10th Circuit. These meetings are being held in Oklahoma because the vast bulk of 10th Circuit capital habeas cases are § 2254 actions arising out of the Oklahoma State courts. Nonetheless, all CJA attorneys interested in this very challenging work are welcome to attend. The event is free and luncheon will be served; however, there is no funding available to assist with travel costs.
At 86, Oklahoma’s death row is by far the largest in the Tenth Circuit. (The remaining states combined have fewer than 20 people on death row.) The Capital Habeas Unit (CHU) of the Western Oklahoma FPD presently represents twenty-five petitioners at various stages of habeas litigation - less than half of the qualified clients. A small cadre of CJA attorneys have been representing the remainder since 1995. Many are sole practitioners who shouldered this responsibility without the assistance of co-counsel. The few attorneys who undertake this demanding work are simply not enough -- particularly with 63 petitions pending at various federal court levels just from in Oklahoma.
Tenth Circuit Judges Tymkovich, Gorsuch, Holmes, Senior Circuit Judges Holloway and Seymour, Chief Circuit Judge Henry, and judges from federal district courts of Oklahoma are expected to attend to share their perspectives on the need for additional attorneys to provide high-quality representation at the federal appellate and district levels. Federal Public Defenders and CJA attorneys that have all represented or are currently representing death row inmates will share their thoughts. Ideas for in-circuit training programs will be explored.
If you will attend either meeting, please RSVP immediately to the appropriate number: Oklahoma City at (405) 609-5400, or Tulsa at (918)699-4795. Food will be ordered based on responses, so please do not RSVP unless you or someone else from your firm are certain to attend. Thank you.
At 86, Oklahoma’s death row is by far the largest in the Tenth Circuit. (The remaining states combined have fewer than 20 people on death row.) The Capital Habeas Unit (CHU) of the Western Oklahoma FPD presently represents twenty-five petitioners at various stages of habeas litigation - less than half of the qualified clients. A small cadre of CJA attorneys have been representing the remainder since 1995. Many are sole practitioners who shouldered this responsibility without the assistance of co-counsel. The few attorneys who undertake this demanding work are simply not enough -- particularly with 63 petitions pending at various federal court levels just from in Oklahoma.
Tenth Circuit Judges Tymkovich, Gorsuch, Holmes, Senior Circuit Judges Holloway and Seymour, Chief Circuit Judge Henry, and judges from federal district courts of Oklahoma are expected to attend to share their perspectives on the need for additional attorneys to provide high-quality representation at the federal appellate and district levels. Federal Public Defenders and CJA attorneys that have all represented or are currently representing death row inmates will share their thoughts. Ideas for in-circuit training programs will be explored.
If you will attend either meeting, please RSVP immediately to the appropriate number: Oklahoma City at (405) 609-5400, or Tulsa at (918)699-4795. Food will be ordered based on responses, so please do not RSVP unless you or someone else from your firm are certain to attend. Thank you.
posted by Anonymous at 9:22 AM
<< Home