News and Events
James P. Ulwick accepts John Adams Award on behalf of CJA practitioners
ECI Criminal Justice Act felony panel members receive prestigious award
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Kramon & Graham announced today that criminal defense principal James P. Ulwick accepted the prestigious John Adams Award on behalf of 84 members of the Criminal Justice Act Panel. The award is presented each year by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to an attorney or attorneys on the elite panel who best exemplify the qualities exhibited by former President John Adams in representing indigent clients.
Mr. Ulwick was presented with the award on behalf of all CJA panel members who were involved in defending the individuals indicted in the Eastern Correctional Institution prison case, the largest prison corruption case in Maryland history. More than 80 defendants were indicted for their alleged roles in an extensive network of contraband smuggling and trafficking. The case involved the largest number of individuals ever indicted in a single case in the District of Maryland and placed a significant burden on the court and its ability to ensure fair representation.
Supported by Kramon & Graham defense attorney William J. Harrington, Mr. Ulwick represented a former ECI correctional officer who was charged with smuggling drugs and other contraband into the prison. Following a three-week trial, a jury acquitted the client of racketeering, bribery, and narcotics distribution charges. Of the 80 defendants named in the indictments, only the firm's client and one other defendant were acquitted. Charges were eventually dropped against another defendant.
About the John Adams Award
Chief Judge, James K. Bredar created the John Adams Award in 1997, when he was Baltimore's federal public defender. The award is named in honor of John Adams for his role in defending the British soldiers and civilians who were charged with murder following the 1772 Boston Massacre. John Adams received personal threats and suffered professional disgrace for agreeing to take on the unpopular case. He successfully obtained an acquittal for the captain and five of the British soldiers; two other soldiers and the civilians were convicted only of manslaughter and given reduced sentences.
