POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT Paralegal Asheville Office

Federal Defenders of Western North Carolina, Inc. (“FDWNC”), a community defender organization, is accepting applications for a Paralegal position located in the Asheville Branch Office. FDWNC is a nonprofit corporation, funded by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. The organization is not an agency of the federal government; staff members are not federal employees. FDWNC represents indigent criminal defendants in the federal courts in Charlotte, Statesville, Asheville and Bryson City, and has its main office in Charlotte and a branch office in Asheville.

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CLE 2012 Asheville, NC Information

FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

January 24, 2012 

TO: CJA Panel Attorneys, All Districts of North Carolina and South Carolina 

FROM: Louis C. Allen, Federal Public Defender

SUBJECT: 2012 C.J.A. Panel Attorney Federal Crirlninal Practice Seminar

Henderson Hill and I are planning our annual federal criminal practice seminar for CIA panel attorneys and Federal Public Defenders in North and South Carolina, The seminar will be free except for lodging and $75.00 for food and incidentals. It is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012, and conclude at 4:30 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012, with early registration available on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. CLE accreditation will be sought from the North Carolina State Bar, thereby allowing this program to help in satisfying your annual requirements, including ethics and the substance abuse/mental health hour.

The seminar will he held at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. We have negotiated the special rate of $145.00 per night Single!Double Occupancy for attendees. Rooms will be held at this rate ng later than March 6, 2012. Space is limited so please make your reservations promptly. The group code is 1002253. You can call the hotel directly at 828-252-271 l or you can make your reservation online www.groveparkinnßorn under Group Reservations using the group code. If you are a federal employee please bring your tax exempt form for your lodging. 

The Grove Park Inn will also provide a special golfrate of $65.00. The special rate will be available ALL DAY April 4 - April 6, 2012. If anyone is interested and would like to reserve a tee time, please Contact the Grove Park Inn at (828) 252-271 l ext.  and be sure to mention “FPDO” to receive this special rate.

Anouncement letter and Registration form

Speakers Info

Program

Presentation Materials

Raffle Info

Applications for the WDNC CJA Panel and Training Panel are now available

The applications for becoming a member of the WDNC CJA Panel and Training Panel are now available.  In addition, the re-application for current members whose term has expired is also available.  Deadline for submission is June 30, 2012.

CJA Application

Re-Application for CJA Panel

The applications for becoming a member of the WDNC CJA Panel and Training Panel are now available.  In addition, the re-application for current members whose term has expired is also available.  Deadline for submission is June 30, 2012.

HENDERSON HILL SELECTED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Board of Directors for Federal Defenders of Western North Carolina, Inc. is pleased to announce that Henderson Hill has been selected to serve as Executive Director effective September 30, 2011.

Henderson Hill is presently Of Counsel at Ferguson, Stein, Chambers, Gresham and Sumter, P.A. in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of Lehman College (1977) and the Harvard Law School (1981). From 1981 through 1991, Henderson was a staff attorney, special litigation counsel, deputy chief of the appellate section, and training director at the Public Defender Service in the District of Columbia. In 1991, Henderson became Director of the North Carolina Resource Center until the Resource Centers across the country were defunded. He then became the first director of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in 1995. In 1996, he joined Ferguson Stein where he has engaged in the practice of civil and criminal law.

James P. Cooney III, Chair of the Federal Defenders, stated:

“Throughout his career, Mr. Hill has demonstrated the highest commitment to the defense of those charged with crimes who cannot afford counsel. As the new director, the Board is confident that Mr. Hill will continue the organization’s proven commitment to providing high quality representation to indigent defendants. He will continue the legacies of ethics, excellence and high-quality legal representation that has been the centerpiece of this organization since its creation 6 years ago. He is a worthy successor to our first Executive Director, Claire Rauscher, and we are excited that he has agreed to build on Ms. Rauscher’s legacy. We believe that Mr. Hill, like Ms. Rauscher before him, will work to make real the promise of Gideon.”

Introduction to Federal Sentencing 13th Edition

Here's the latest Introduction to Federal Sentencing.  

Dear Colleagues: 

I attach the 13th edition of An Introduction to Federal Sentencing.  This edition is current through the Supreme Court's last term, the Sentencing Commission's latest amendments, and AG Holder's decision to agree to retroactive application of the FSA.

New to this edition are a small section on the child pornography guidelines and a section at the end summarizing each of the Supreme Court's post-Booker cases on the advisory guidelines system. I have also added internal bookmarks and hyperlinks to allow readers to navigate around the document more easily when reading it online. 

This paper is intended as a panel training tool; you are free to use it for any training programs as you see fit.  Comments are, as always, welcome. 

My thanks to SRC Amy Baron-Evans, Denise Barrett, and Laura Mate, and to incoming WDTX AFPD Gabriel Reyes, for their many helpful comments; to intern Jacquelyn Bunick for her careful cite-checking; and to Brad Bogan for his invaluable research and writing assistance. And, of course, thanks to Lucien Campbell for his co-authorship of previous editions of this paper. 

Henry J. Bemporad

Federal Public Defender

Western District of Texas

Here's the latest Introduction to Federal Sentencing.  
Dear Colleagues: 
I attach the 13th edition of An Introduction to Federal Sentencing.  This edition is current through the Supreme Court's last term, the Sentencing Commission's latest amendments, and AG Holder's decision to agree to retroactive application of the FSA.
New to this edition are a small section on the child pornography guidelines and a section at the end summarizing each of the Supreme Court's post-Booker cases on the advisory guidelines system. I have also added internal bookmarks and hyperlinks to allow readers to navigate around the document more easily when reading it online. 
This paper is intended as a panel training tool; you are free to use it for any training programs as you see fit.  Comments are, as always, welcome. 
My thanks to SRC Amy Baron-Evans, Denise Barrett, and Laura Mate, and to incoming WDTX AFPD Gabriel Reyes, for their many helpful comments; to intern Jacquelyn Bunick for her careful cite-checking; and to Brad Bogan for his invaluable research and writing assistance. And, of course, thanks to Lucien Campbell for his co-authorship of previous editions of this paper. 

Henry J. BemporadFederal Public DefenderWestern District of Texas

New CJA On Line Voucher Tool

Learn About the New CJA On Line Voucher Tool and Discuss Other CJA Issues

In  Charlotte, Wednesday, March 23 from Noon to 1:30PM

In Asheville, Thursday March 24 from Noon to 1:30PM

Don't miss this informative presentation!!!

Learn About the New CJA On Line Voucher Tool and Discuss Other CJA IssuesIn  Charlotte, Wednesday, March 23 from Noon to 1:30PMIn Asheville, Thursday March 24 from Noon to 1:30PMDon't miss this informative presentation!!!

Annual C.J.A. Panel Attorney Federal Criminal Practice Seminar

April 21-22, 2011 Grove Park Inn Asheville, North Carolina

To: C.J.A. Panel Attorneys- Western, Middle and Eastern Districts

Members of the Federal Criminal Defense Bar

From: Claire J. Rauscher, Executive Director

Re: Annual C.J.A. Panel Attorney Federal Criminal Practice Seminar

April 21-22, 2011 Grove Park Inn Asheville, North Carolina

Louis Allen and I are planning our annual federal criminal practice seminar for the C.J.A. Panel Attorneys and members of the federal criminal defense bar. The seminar is free except for a $70 registration fee that will provide coffee and snacks. The seminar will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 21 and conclude st at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, April 22nd. CLE accreditation will be sought from the North Carolina State Bar thereby allowing this program to help in satisfying your annual requirements, including 2 hours of ethics. 

More Information

Brochure

Travel Reimbursement Form for April Seminar

Brown Bag Lunch Series

Materials from February 3rd 2011 Brown Bag

 Brown Bag materials 

On Tuesday, December  14 from Noon to 3PM, please join us in our Asheville office  for a presentation on Illegal Re-entry Cases.

Link for More Infrmation

Emerging Issues in Fourth Circuit Criminal Law

Federal Bar Association

Western District of North Carolina Chapter

November 5, 2010

Ann Hester

Assistant Federal Defender

Federal Defenders of Western N.C.

http://ncw.fd.org

Richard Edwards

Assistant United States Attorney

Western District of North Carolina

Effect of Prior North Carolina Felony Offenses in a Federal Case

North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing Statutes:

N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 15A‐1340.10 through 15A‐1340.17

 ........Click for Full Article 

(Commentary) Fair Sentencing Act and New Guideline Amendments Effective 11/1/2010

On Friday, October 15, 2010, the USSC promulgated temporary emergency amendments,

effective Nov, 1, 2010 which implement the directives in the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010

(FSA).

NEW BASE OFFENSE LEVELS (BOLs) FOR CRACK

ELIMINATION OF MANDATORY MINIMUM FOR SIMPLE POSSESSION OF CRACK

Clink Link for full article