Paul, Weiss Pro Bono Client Granted Parole

Paul, Weiss secured parole for a pro bono client who had served 25 years in prison for her role in the murder of an elderly woman.

At the time of the murder, our client was heavily addicted to drugs and in an abusive relationship with her co-defendant, who had conceived of a plan to rob his former employers and who, during the robbery, killed one of those employers. Our client, who had participated in the robbery, was also convicted of murder and received the same harsh sentence as her co-defendant.

Our client was granted parole on her first appearance before the board, a rarity in cases involving murder convictions. In her presentation to the parole board, our client described how, during her lengthy incarceration she had turned her life around by getting and staying sober, rebuilding her family relationships, participating in an array of therapeutic programming, tirelessly pursuing her education and thoughtfully preparing for her release.

The Paul, Weiss team helped our client prepare for her parole interview, identifying aspects of the crime for which she could take responsibility, working with a clinical psychologist and social worker to help our client confront the domestic abuse and trauma she had experienced, and developed materials for the parole board to demonstrate that our client was low-risk, remorseful and ready for release.

The Paul, Weiss team included pro bono attorney Jeremy Benjamin and litigation associates Maia Usui, Charles Sucher and Savanna Leak. The matter was supervised by litigation partner Michele Hirshman.