Federal Capital Trial Project
The Federal Capital Trial Project (or “Trial Project”) of the Defender Services Office of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts is comprised of the Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel project (“FDPRC”) and the Capital Resource Counsel project (“CRC”). The Trial Project is staffed by experienced federal capital litigators who work in close coordination to provide consultation, training, and assistance to counsel and courts to improve the quality of representation and the cost-effectiveness of defense services in federal capital prosecution cases.
Established in early 1992, a core function of the Trial Project is to support and assist court-appointed defense counsel in federal capital cases. To do this, the Trial Project assigns a FDPRC or CRC attorney to work with the defense team in every potential federal death penalty case as a “resource counsel.” Resource Counsel are not counsel of record, and their role is to provide advice, assistance, and helpful information and resources to the team. The FDPRC resource counsel are part-time contractors who are often appointed to serve as death-qualified (“learned”) counsel outside their role with the Project. The CRC attorneys are full-time salaried federal defender staff who often serve as “learned” counsel as part of their Project responsibilities. This Trial Project lawyer provides on-site and remote consultation which can include assistance in:
- identifying learned counsel;
- making referrals for experts, mitigation specialists, investigators, paralegals, defense victim outreach specialists, and other defense team members;
- conducting legal research, providing model pleadings, and preparing pleadings;
- crafting written and oral arguments addressing the government’s decision whether or not to seek the death penalty; and
- ultimately, if necessary, all aspects of capital trial and sentencing.
The Project monitors all federal death penalty cases and serves as a national clearinghouse for information helpful to defense counsel appointed in federal capital cases. The Project also responds to inquiries from the federal courts and from Congress regarding all aspects of the defense function in federal capital prosecutions. The Trial Project also:
- assists Federal Defenders and courts in recruiting defense counsel “learned in the law applicable to capital cases” for appointment under 18 U.S.C. § 3005;
- supports efforts to recruit diverse capital team members and to support these new team members within the capital defense community to promote their success and retention;
- assists the Defender Services Office of the AOUSC, in responding to judicial inquiries concerning the defense function, case management, and case budgeting in federal capital cases;
- develops capital litigation training programs and materials to assist federal defenders and court- appointed private counsel;
- maintains a website that provides access to a wide array of materials relevant to the defense of federal capital cases;
- responds to Congressional inquiries directed to the federal defender system concerning proposed capital punishment legislation and oversight; and
- serves as a point of contact between the federal defender system and the Department of Justice regarding the administration of federal death penalty statutes.
Our web site, https://fdprc.capdefnet.org/, contains helpful information for those involved in defending federal capital cases. It includes litigation guides on crucial issues (including sample pleadings), statistics, and other helpful information regarding district court practices in federal capital cases, opinion summaries, and other important resources. A significant amount of information on the web site is not accessible to the general public. In order to access the private side, click on “login” and “request access now.” You will then receive a password within a day or so. Once you have access to the private side, we strongly recommend that you download the Outline of Federal Death Penalty Case Law, a comprehensive outline addressing issues of special applicability to death penalty cases in federal court and covering all Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions in federal capital cases and relevant district court decisions.
Contact information for the members of the Trial Project may be found on our website at: https://fdprc.capdefnet.org/overview/about-us/177.
Name & Address | Contact Numbers & Email |
---|---|
Matthew Rubenstein, Project Director Director, Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 101 SW Main Street, Suite 1700 Portland, Oregon 97204 |
(503) 780-3535 E-mail: matt_rubenstein@fd.org |
Richard Jasper, Project Director Director, Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel Project 224 West 30th Street Suite 302 New York, New York 10001 |
(212) 689-3858 E-mail: ricjasp@aol.com |
Anthony Haughton, Deputy Director Deputy Director, Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 440 Louisiana Street, Suite 1350 Houston, Texas 77002 |
(832) 287-9548 E-mail: anthony_haughton@fd.org |
Teri Duncan, Deputy Director Deputy Director, Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel Project Law Office of Theresa M. Duncan, LLC P.O. Box 2769 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 |
(505) 710-6586 E-mail: teri@duncanearnest.com |
Michael K. Bachrach 224 West 30th Street Suite 302 New York, New York 10001 |
(212) 929-0592 E-mail: michael@mbachlaw.com |
Marc Bookman Atlantic Center for Capital Representation 1315 Walnut Street Suite 905 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 |
(215) 805-9341 E-mail: marcbookman12@gmail.com |
Cristina Bordé 33 E Main Street Suite 400 Madison, Wisconsin 53703 |
(608) 620-3307 E-mail: cristinaborde@gmail.com |
Julie Brain 916 South 2nd Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147 |
(267) 639-0417 E-mail: juliebrain1@yahoo.com |
David I. Bruck |
(540) 460-8178 E-mail: bruckd@wlu.edu |
Michael N. Burt Law Office of Michael Burt 1000 Brannan Street Suite 400 San Francisco, California 94103-4888 |
(415) 250-4541 Fax: (415) 522-1506 E-mail: mb@michaelburtlaw.com |
Ashwin Cattamanchi, CRC Attorney Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 810 Broadway, Suite 200 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
(858) 356-2374 E-mail: Ashwin_Cattamanchi@fd.org |
Rachelle Chattin, CRC Paralegal Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 810 Broadway, Suite 200 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
(502) 682-8481 E-mail: rachelle_chattin@fd.org |
Judy Clarke Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel Project 180 Broadway Suite 1800 San Diego, California 92101 |
(619) 560-8217 Fax: (619) 243-7386 E-mail: judyclarke@cjtrlaw.com |
John A. Diaz DIAZ & MOSKOWITZ, PLLC. 225 Broadway Suite 715 New York, New York 10007 |
212-227-8208 E-mail: johnadiazlaw@gmail.com |
Mark Donatelli P.O. Box 8180 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 |
(505) 690-0292 Fax: (505) 982-0307 E-mail: mhd@rothsteinlaw.com |
David Freedman, Mental Health Consultant P.O. Box 205 New York, New York 10276 |
(917) 848-4589 E-mail: df2379@gmail.com |
Lisa Greenman 3925 Morrison Street, NW Washington, District of Columbia 20015 |
202-744-7036 E-mail: greenmanlisa@gmail.com |
Vivian Hernandez, CRC Attorney Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 810 Broadway, Suite 200 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
915-217-5433 E-mail: Vivian_Hernandez@fd.org |
Anna Louise Jeno, CRC Paralegal Capital Resource Counsel Project 101 SW Main Street, Suite 1700 Portland, Oregon 97204 |
(503) 715-7389 E-mail: anna_jeno@fd.org |
Don Knight 7852 S. Elati Street Suite 205 Littleton, Colorado 80120 |
(720) 934-7064 E-mail: don@dknightlaw.com |
Kristina Leslie, CRC Attorney Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 6411 Ivy Lane, Suite 710 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770 |
(571) 449-7056 E-mail: Kristina_Leslie@fd.org |
Robert Lominack, Website Administrator 2814 Heyward Avenue Columbia, South Carolina 29205 |
(803) 351-0436 E-mail: robert@robertlominack.com |
Steve Potolsky PO Box 50973 Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250 |
(305) 335-5539 E-mail: stevepo@bellsouth.net |
Melissa Read, Administrator Capital Resource Counsel Project c/o Federal Public Defender 810 Broadway, Suite 200 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
(505) 363-2547 E-mail: Melissa_Read@fd.org |
Anthony Ricco Anthony L. Ricco, Esq. 20 Vesey Street Suite 400 New York, New York 10007 |
(212) 791-3919 Fax: (212) 964-2926 E-mail: tonyricco@aol.com |
Kimberly Stevens, CRC Senior Attorney Capital Resource Counsel Project 1070-1 Tunnel Road Suite 10 #215 Asheville, North Carolina 28805 |
(336) 575-4337 Fax: (336) 788-3836 E-mail: kim_stevens@fd.org |
Jackie Walsh Jacqueline K. Walsh Law P.S., Inc. 140 Lakeside Ave. #A-338 Seattle, Washington 98122 |
(206) 325-7900 E-mail: jackie@jamlegal.com |