Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

PRACDL Annual Assembly, Dinner & Elections

This is a reminder that Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will hold its Annual Assembly, Dinner and Elections this coming Thursday, December 4, 2008, from 6:00 p.m. onwards at Castellanos Restaurant on Domenech Ave.  All members are encouraged to attend.

Dinner is on PRACDL's tab, and drinks are on each attendant.  This is a good time for all members to join together and celebrate, and for our newer members to get to know the rest of us. We will also be holding a ceremony in memory of our dear colleague Juanita Treviño Monserrate.

Please confirm your attendance by email to PRACDL, preferably by Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you there!

Dinner is on PRACDL's tab, and drinks are on each attendant.  This is a good time for all members to join together and celebrate, and for our newer members to get to know the rest of us. We will also be holding a ceremony in memory of our dear colleague Juanita Treviño Monserrate.

Please confirm your attendance by email to PRACDL, preferably by Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you there!

First Circuit Request for Comments on Reappointment of Joseph Laws, Federal Public Defender for the District of Puerto Rico

The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has published a Request for Comments Relating to the Reappointment of Joseph C. Laws, Jr., Federal Public Defender for the District of Puerto Rico.

Joe is a Charter Member of PRACDL and was our first President. At that time Joe was in private practice, having already served his own stint at the Federal Public Defender's Office years back under the stewardship of the Grand Master - don Gerardo Ortíz del Rivero.

The relationship between the Federal Public Defender's Office for the District of Puerto Rico and PRACDL was built into our own by-laws, by assuring that the Federal Public Defender was a permanent Board member of PRACDL. Article III, Sec. B of PRACDL's By-Laws establishes that:

The Board shall consist of nine (9) directors. One of the directors shall be the Federal Public Defender or a designee, provided that this person fulfills the requirements set forth in section D(6) of Article II of these by-laws. The remaining eight directors will be elected by the members eligible to vote at the annual meeting.

After all, it was at the Federal Public Defender's Office in Old San Juan where a group of nineteen criminal defense lawyers met for a number of days to organize PRACDL. Joe Laws and I also met with Alan Ellis -then NACDL's President- who traveled to Puerto Rico to assure that PRACDL got off to a good start.

We have grown, and that special relationship between PRACDL and the Federal Public Defender's Office has continued. We co-sponsor CLE courses, and try to always maintain a common front in addressing issues in which there is a commonality of interest, such as addressing concerns with the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Attorney's Office to help us in our work. As the Federal Public Defender, Joe Laws has been instrumental in maintaining this common front to the problems facing all criminal defense lawyers practicing before the District of Puerto Rico. Because he has worn the various hats of an Assistant Federal Public Defender, a private practitioner and more recently that of the Federal Public Defender, Joe has made it a point to look out for the well-being of all. Even as a member of the Court's CJA Committee, where I have the privilege of serving with him, he has always looked out for the interests of CJA Panel members, understanding the problems we face, while at the same time constantly insisting that CJA Panel members must be highly qualified.

I will be writing my comments in support of Joe's reappointment as the Federal Public Defender with pleasure, and I invite all criminal defense lawyers practicing in our district to take the time to write their own comments as well.

PRACDL Annual Assembly & Election Results

Last night's Annual Assembly, Dinner and Elections was a real success. Members unanimously elected Linda Backiel (picture, left) to be our new President. They also elected the following to the Board: outgoing President Mariángela Tirado-Vales (picture, right), who everyone agreed had done an outstanding job, Rachel Brill, Jason González-Delgado, Joseph C. Laws, Jr., Tom Lincoln (me), Jorge E. Rivera-Ortíz, Olga M. Shepard de Mari and Jorge E. Vega-Pacheco. As established by PRACDL by-laws, the new Board will meet and elect from among its members the Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

This past year brought many accomplishments for PRACDL and, as Juan Ramón Acevedo-Cruz pointed out, PRACDL has in the past few years become an organization that is respected by the institutional players we must deal with on various matters, as well as among the criminal defense bar in general.

A well deserved recognition was given to Olga M. Shepard de Mari, who quietly and diligently worked behind the scenes with Mariángela Tirado-Vales in all things regarding CLE course accreditation for PRACDL offered seminars and workshops. Aslo recognized was outgoing Board Member José L. Novas Debién for his assistance in implementing PRACDL's proposal as to the CJA Mentoring Program, a proposal which was largely approved by the Court thereafter.

I think the coming year bodes well for PRACDL.  We are fortunate to have Linda Backiel serving as our President, a position she refused to accept without first forcing Mariángela Tirado-Vales to accept staying on the Board another term, now as Vice President.

We were somewhat surprised at the management of Castellanos Restaurant for presenting us with a bill addressed to the US Department of Justice. We almost refused to pay, but did so under the condition that they give us a corrected bill for our records. They promised to never again confuse us.

UPDATE: At the first Board meeting held on January 24, 2008, the Board elected from among its members the following officers:

• Linda Backiel - President (elected as such at Annual Meeting)
• Mariángela Tirado-Vales - Vice-President
• Jason González-Delgado - Secretary
• Jorge L. Rivera-Ortíz - Treasurer

PRACDL Annual Assembly, Dinner & Elections

This is a reminder that Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will hold its Annual Assembly, Dinner and Elections this coming Thursday, December 13, 2007, from 5:30 p.m. onwards at Castellanos Restaurant on Domenech Ave.  All members are encouraged to attend.

Dinner is on PRACDL's tab, and drinks are on each attendant.  This is a good time for all members to join together and celebrate, and for our newer members to get to know the rest of us.

Please confirm your attendance by email to PRACDL, preferably by Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you there!

PRACDL Honors Jorge L. Arroyo Alejandro

This past Wednesday PRACDL held a very special activity to honor colleague Jorge L. Arroyo Alejandro for his "dedication, professionalism and continued contribution to the defense bar," as well as his enormous dedication to PRACDL, having been our longest serving President.

As invited speakers we had Chief Judge José A. Fusté, District of Puerto Rico, and Francisco Rebollo and Juan R. Acevedo-Cruz, both PRACDL members and, more importantly, good friends of Jorge, as well as PRACDL Vice President Linda Backiel, whose brief but moving comments almost brought tears to my eyes.  It should be noted that it was Linda who first proposed this activity to PRACDL's Board, a proposal that was unanimously approved.  Jorge's remarks were also very moving. He confessed that he had wanted to be a lawyer since he was a young boy, and how he had entered college having no idea what he would major in, but certain that he would thereafter go to law school. It is beyond question that throughout his career Jorge has earned the respect of fellow defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges.  Possessed with a keen intellect, and always well prepared, Jorge has always fought to protect his client's rights.

In addition to the many PRACDL members who attended, we were honored with the presence of District Judges Fusté, Domínguez, García-Gregory, Delgado-Colón and Gelpí. as well as Magistrate Judge Bruce J. McGiverin. Because Jorge Arroyo once worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, we also invited the members of the U.S. Attorney's Office and were pleased that a number of them attended, including María Domínguez, José Ruiz, Ernesto López-Soltero, Jacqueline Novas, Timothy Henwood and Aramis Ríos.

PRACDL President Mariángela Tirado-Vales presented Jorge with a beautiful  glass plaque, as well as a gift from PRACDL.  Accompanying Jorge was his wife, Ana, and their two lovely daughters, Sara and Veronica.  Meeting them makes one realize that Jorge's achievements have also been the result of the support of an outstanding family.

PRACDL to Propose Changes and Offer Assistance to Court's Mentoring Program for New CJA Panel Members

With a view towards improving the Mentoring Program provided by the District of Puerto Rico to some of the new CJA Panel members, PRACDL's Board has been meeting and working out a proposal to present to the Court's CJA Committee, presided by Honorable Aida M. Delgado-Colón.  At the gist of the proposal to be submitted, is the idea of putting the Mentor back into the Mentoring Program to interact with the Mentoree, rather than simply have an attorney attend a series of Court events.  Moreover, the proposal will include participation for both in-court and out-of-court events, such as witness and client interviews, and motion practice. And PRACDL will make available to the Court a list of PRACDL Members willing to act as Mentors.

PRACDL's New Board

The Officers and other Board Members for this year are as follows:

• Mariángela Tirado-Vales - President
• Linda Backiel - Vice President
• Jorge E. Rivera-Ortíz - Treasurer
• Tom Lincoln - Secretary
• Rachel Brill
• Jason González-Delgado
• Joseph Laws - Federal Public Defender - Permanent Board Member
• José L. Novas-Debién
• Jorge Vega-Pacheco

Pursuant to PRACDL By-Laws, the President  was elected at our annual meeting, together with the other Board Members, who would then elect from among their midst the other officers.

Vice President Linda Backiel will chair PRACDL's Lawyers' Assistance Strike Force, Rachel Brill will chair the Continuing Legal Education Committee.  I will continue in charge of the blog.

PRACDL 4th Workshop and Annual Dinner Meeting - December 7th, 2006

PRACDL invites all criminal defense lawyers to it's Fourth 2006 Workshop on Thursday, December 7, 2006. This will be followed by our Annual Dinner Meeting. See the announcement here. The workshop topic is Grand Jury Practice.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

Following the workshop, we will hold our Annual Dinner Meeting (free, members only) at Café Al Fresco on O'Neill Street from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. (dinner and all drinks included for those two hours). We will also hold our elections to the new Board.  Note: We don't have to leave after 8:15 p.m., but do have to pay our own drinks. A jazz group will start to play about that time.  I look forward to seeing you all there.

PRACDL invites all criminal defense lawyers to it's Fourth 2006 Workshop on Thursday, December 7, 2006. This will be followed by our Annual Dinner Meeting. See the announcement here. The workshop topic is Grand Jury Practice.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

Following the workshop, we will hold our Annual Dinner Meeting (free, members only) at Café Al Fresco on O'Neill Street from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. (dinner and all drinks included for those two hours). We will also hold our elections to the new Board.  Note: We don't have to leave after 8:15 p.m., but do have to pay our own drinks. A jazz group will start to play about that time.  I look forward to seeing you all there.

PRACDL Seminar, Assembly & Elections

Today PRACDL held a half day seminar, followed by its annual assembly and elections. The seminar was on The Trial of a Complex Conspiracy Case: Openings, Closings and Important Trial Strategies, presented by New York Criminal Defense Lawyer Benjamin Brafman, Esq.  By all accounts the seminar was a success, so our congratulations to those who organized it.

As to the new Board, Tom Lincoln (yes, that's me) was elected President, replacing outgoing President María H. Sandoval.  The other Board members are:

• Mariangela Tirado-Vales
• Héctor M. Deliz
• Francisco M. Dolz-Sánchez
• Jason González-Delgado
• Frank D. Inserni
• Joseph C. Laws, Jr. - FPD-PR has permanent seat on Board
• Juan F. Matos
• Jorge E. Rivera-Ortíz

Other than for the President, the by-laws provide that the Board will select the officers from among its members. A Board meeting will take place soon to get moving.

This past year saw PRACDL achieve some momentum, thanks to the hard work of many, some of who are fortunately serving on the Board again, and others who have promised to assist even though no longer on the Board. So let me thank those who are no longer on the Board: Juan R. Acevedo-Cruz, Rachel Brill, Maria H. Sandoval, and Irma Valldejuli. Also a special thanks to PRACDL member Linda Backiel.

This coming year bodes well for PRACDL.

Update:

At the first board meeting, the Board elected the following PRACDL officers:

• Mariangela Tirado-Vales was elected Vice President
• Jason González-Delgado was elected Secretary
• Jorge E. Rivera-Ortíz was elected Treasurer

Hon. Aida M. Delgado-Colón - Our Next U.S. District Judge

President George W. Bush has nominated Honorable Aida M. Delgado-Colón, U.S. Magistrate Judge, to serve as U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. Prior to being appointed as a U.S. Magistrate. she served for more than a decade as an Assistant Federal Public Defender. She has served as U.S. Magistrate Judge since 1993, and has earned the respect of prosecutors, defense attorneys and the other judges. She has truly earned this appointment through her hard work. PRACDL members take great pride in her achievements, since she was one of the 19 Charter Members of PRACDL - back in those days when she served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender.  ¡Muchas, pero muchas, felicidades!