section update
Criminal Law Section Update
By Jamila M. Hall
Jones Day
[email protected]
D
ecember is here! Holiday joy fills the air! When I
was a federal prosecutor, December was always
a double-edged sword. I looked forward to having
time off from work and reconnecting with family and friends,
but I also had work to do. As luck would have it, I usually
had several trials in the fall which, in turn, meant several
sentencing hearings in December. Often, victims would
submit statements to the court detailing how their lives
had been affected by the defendant’s crimes. As I listened
to the judge issue prison sentences, I thought about the
“silent” victims of these crimes, the innocent children who
would have to spend their holidays with a parent behind
bars. Whatever your role in the criminal justice system, I
think we can all agree that children should not have to suffer
because of their parents’ mistakes. Indeed, several studies
have concluded that children of prisoners are seven times
more likely to also end up in prison. These children need our
support. Every child deserves to be happy and feel special
during the holidays. Thanks to programs like the Atlanta
Bar Association’s Secret Santa Program and Big Brothers
Big Sisters, you can help to make a joyous holiday a reality
for a child with an incarcerated parent. Please consider
supporting one of these or the many other wonderful
organizations in the area.
As for the business of the Section, we had an exciting Fall.
We kicked the bar year off in August with a free happy hour
in honor of prosecutors and public defenders. We had a
record-breaking turnout! We followed that with a lunch
seminar featuring Fulton County Superior Court Judge
Robert McBurney. Judge McBurney provided great insight,
observations, and advice from his new perspective on the
bench. Amy Weil, from The Weil Firm, was the highlight
of our October meeting. Amy gave a presentation on new
Supreme Court and 11th Circuit law on technology and the
Fourth Amendment. Did you know that law enforcement
can remotely activate the microphone on your phone, even
if it is off? Wow! In November, Paul Kish, from Kish & Lietz,
P.C., and Assistant United States Attorney Kurt Erskine held
a thought-provoking roundtable seminar on the utilities and
potential pitfalls of government proffer sessions. Each event
had great food and wonderful company.
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
2014 is going to be another great year for our Section. Our
January meeting will be held on January 8, 2014 at noon at
Jones Day. The topic is “The Media and Criminal Cases: Friend
or Foe?” We will be joined by public relations specialist Patrick
Crosby. We are bringing back our Wine and War Stories social
and competition, so keep an eye out for more information
and start preparing your best trial war story. In February, we
will begin accepting nominations for the Thomas J. Waldrop
Truth and Justice Award, an award in honor of our departed
friend, Jake Waldrop. Announced on September 3, 2013,
Jake’s birthday, the Truth and Justice Award acknowledges
the achievements and contributions of attorneys who have
demonstrated excellence and professionalism in their legal
practice, as well as an uncommon commitment to protecting
and promoting a fair justice system.
We have much more planned, so please come out and don’t
forget to pay or renew your Section membership. Section
members receive discounts for all Section-sponsored events.
So, your dues pay for themselves!
Happy Holidays!
CLE.calm
Does the approaching CLE
Deadline have you stressed?
Get the CLE hours you need before the
end of the year deadline with
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out more at www.atlantabar.org.
December 2013
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
25