Former Sutherland Lawyers Win Presidential Commutation For Client
President Barack Obama's commutation this month of a woman's life sentence for meth trafficking is the result of 15 years of pro bono efforts by three very determined lawyers, Russell Bonds, Charlie Lester and Jennifer Ide, who started working on the case together at Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan.
December 28, 2015 at 12:00 PM
5 minute read
President Barack Obama's commutation this month of a woman's life sentence for meth trafficking is the result of 15 years of pro bono efforts by three very determined lawyers, Russell Bonds, Charlie Lester and Jennifer Ide, who started working on the case together at Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan.
Their client is Dianne Demar, 68, who has been in prison since 1991, serving a life sentence plus five years with no parole. She is one of 95 offenders, most serving nonviolent drug sentences, to receive a commutation from the president on Dec. 18. Demar is set to be released April 16, 2016.
“Presidential commutation is so rare. It's the Hail Mary longshot,” said Ide, who is now the general counsel of Rimini, a local health tech company.
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