Joint Statement From Federal Defenders On The Killing Of George Floyd on June 3, 2020
JOINT STATEMENT FROM FEDERAL DEFENDERS ON THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD
The moral arc of the universe, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, bends towards justice. And yet, we all saw that arc snap again under a police officer's white knee on George Floyd's Black neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. That knee has been placed on too many Black necks before and too often without repercussions.
This time must be different. While we can kneel in solidarity with Mr. Floyd, we also must stand up and demand that racism, overt and implicit, be acknowledged and confronted.
As federal public and community defenders, we represent the overwhelming majority of those charged with crimes in federal court, most of whom are minorities, of all colors and orientations. We have witnessed "wars" on drugs and crime become dog whistles for hate and racism. Intentions to make communities safe are hijacked by other insidious agendas. The war on crime is a new Jim Crow that permeates our criminal justice system. Daily, we see charges that are too harsh, sentences That are too long, and a system that turns a blind eye to oppressive structural racism because it seems to fear "too much justice."
George Floyd died face down, gasping and begging to breathe. It is well beyond time for us all to say, "Enough."
We are better than this; we can be just and empathetic. We can do what is right and what is moral. We can keep communities safe by holding out our hand to help, aware of our own failings and biases.
And in this crucible of anger, we take a breath, and begin to repair the moral arc and bend it back towards justice.
As federal defenders, we stand with many like George Floyd who have been held down and denied their humanity. It is our job, our calling. It is our privilege. For George Floyd and all of our clients, we renew our longstanding commitment to fight daily for equal justice.
Christine Freeman
Executive Director
Middle District of Alabama
Carlos Williams
Executive Director
Southern District of Alabama
Jon M. Sands
Federal Public Defender
District of Arizona
Bruce Eddy
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Arkansas
Heather E. Williams
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of California
Kathryn Nester
Executive Director
Southern District of California
Terence S. Ward
Federal Public Defender
District of Connecticut
A.J. Kramer
Federal Public Defender
District of Columbia
Michael Caruso
Federal Public Defender
Southern District of Florida
Stephanie Kearns
Executive Director
Northern District of Georgia
Peter Wolff
Federal Public Defender
District of Hawaii
Thomas W. Patton
Federal Public Defender
Central District of Illinois
Stephen R. Welby
Federal Public Defender
Southern District of Illinois
Monica Foster
Executive Director
Southern District of Indiana
Melody Brannon
Federal Public Defender
District of Kansas
Claude Kelly
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of Louisiana
Kevin Butler
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of Alabama
Jamie McGrady
Federal Public Defender
District of Alaska
Lisa Peters
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of Arkansas
Amy Karlin
Interim Federal Public Defender
Central District of California
Steven G. Kalar
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of California
Virginia Grady
Federal Public Defender
Districts of Colorado & Wyoming
Edson Bostic
Federal Public Defender
District of Delaware
Randolph P. Murrell
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of Florida
Christina Hunt
Executive Director
Middle District of Georgia
John Gorman
Federal Public Defender
District of Guam
Samuel Richard Rubin
Executive Director
District of ldaho
John Murphy
Executive Director
Northern District of Illinois
Brad Hansen
Acting Federal Public Defender
Districts of Northern & Southern Iowa
Scott Wendelsdorf
Executive Director
Western District of Kentucky
Rebecca Hudsmith
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Louisiana
James Wyda
Federal Public Defender
District of Maryland
David Beneman
Federal Public Defender
District of Maine
Katherian Roe
Federal Public Defender
District of Minnesota
Lee Lawless
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of Missouri
Omodare Jupiter
Federal Public Defender
Northern & Southern Districts of Mississippi
Madeline Cardarella
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Missouri
David Stickman
Federal Public Defender
District of Nebraska
Richard Coughlin
Federal Public Defender
District of New Jersey
Lisa Bellew-Peebles
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of New York
Marianne Mariano
Federal Public Defender
Western District of New York
Louis Allen
Federal Public Defender
Middle District of North Carolina
Anthony Martinez
Federal Public Defender
Western District of North Carolina
Deborah Williams
Federal Public Defender
Southern District of Ohio
Susan Otto
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Oklahoma
Leigh Skipper
Executive Director
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Parks Small
Federal Public Defender
District of South Carolina
Miriam Conrad
Federal Public Defender Districts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire & Rhode Island
Sharon Turek
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Michigan
Anthony Gallagher
Executive Director
District of Montana
Rene L. Valladares
Federal Public Defender
District of Nevada
Stephen P. McCue
Federal Public Defender
District of New Mexico
David Patton
Executive Director
Southern & Eastern Districts of New York
G. Alan DuBois
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of North Carolina
Stephen C. Newman
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of Ohio
Julia L. O'Connell
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of Oklahoma
Lisa Hay
Federal Public Defender
District of Oregon
Heidi Freese
Federal Public Defender
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Eric Vos
Federal Public Defender
District of Puerto Rico
Lisa Freeland
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Ford
Executive Director
Eastern District of Tennessee
Doris Randle-Holt
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Tennessee
Jason Tupman
Federal Public Defender
Districts of North & South Dakota
Henry Martin
Federal Public Defender
Middle District of Tennessee
G. Patrick Black
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of Texas
Marjorie A. Meyers
Federal Public Defender
Southern District of Texas
Scott Wilson
Federal Public Defender
District of Utah
Matthew Campbell
Federal Public Defender
District of Virgin Islands
Juval Scott
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Virginia
Michael Filipovic
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Washington
Jason Hawkins
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of Texas
Maureen Franco
Federal Public Defender
Western District of Texas
Michael L. Desautels
Federal Public Defender
District of Vermont
Geremy Kamens
Federal Public Defender
Eastern District of Virginia
Andrea K. George
Executive Director
Eastern District of Washington
BrianJ. Kornbrath
Federal Public Defender
Northern District of West Virginia
Craig Albee
Executive Director
Eastern District of Wisconsin
