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.

This is the direct link to the document: Joint Statement From Federal Defenders On The Killing Of George Floyd

The Office of the Federal Public Defender

The Office of the Federal Defender for the Eastern District of California is authorized under Title 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, the Criminal Justice Act, to provide legal representation to persons financially unable to retain counsel in federal criminal and related proceedings. Representation includes counsel and investigative, expert and other services.

Members of the Federal Defender’s Office share a commitment to excellence and a passion for justice in representing indigent people accused of a myriad of federal criminal offenses. We provide quality legal representation and/or advice to individuals financially unable to employ counsel in federal criminal cases and related matters in the federal courts. We handle a wide range of cases including felonies, misdemeanors, appeals, non-capital habeas matters and capital habeas matters. We are advocates for our clients – we want our legal system to be fair to all. Our mission is to exceed the expectations of our clients every day by providing the highest caliber of legal counsel and advice.

Our Services

The Federal Defender Office for California's Eastern District strives to:

• Provide vigorous and high quality representation to indigent defendants in Federal Court;
• Foster and promote the high standards and ideals required by the Bill of Rights and the Criminal Justice Act;
• Ensure justice in the federal courts is administered to all persons on a fair and equal basis; and
• Advance the effectiveness of the federal legal system through excellence in legal scholarship, on-going education, and training the criminal defense bar.

PRESS RELEASE

Theodore Kaczynski

The Federal Defender – California Eastern represented Theodore Kaczynski in two cases (one transferred from New Jersey) since his arrest in 1996. FMC-Butner guards found Mr. Kaczynski dead by his own hand Sunday, June 11, 2023. He was 81 years old.

In 1998, Mr. Kaczynski pled guilty to all counts in both cases, to charges of transporting and mailing explosives and destructive devices resulting in 3 people dying and more being injured. The court sentenced Mr. Kaczynski to multiple concurrent and consecutive sentences of 20 years, 30 years, and life imprisonment.

We recognize many were victimized and impacted by Mr. Kaczynski’s actions over decades and still feel pain from his deluded acts.

Mr. Kaczynski was a mathematical genius, intelligent in so many areas, and concerned for society’s direction. He was also mentally ill and acted from the delusions of that mental illness. Our Office and his legal team, who he appreciated even when disagreeing with them, came to know a person tormented as a result of abuse yet denying its impact on him and his ideas.

The Bureau of Prisons housed Mr. Kaczynski at its Administrative Maximum Security prison for decades since sentence imposition and we heard from him occasionally. Recently, the Bureau of Prison transferred Mr. Kaczynski to their Medical Center in Butner. We hope Mr. Kaczynski found peace in death.