Federal Criminal Lawyer Blog
This Wednesday, United States Court of Appeals Judge Beverly Martin will be speaking here in Atlanta at a luncheon sponsored by the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. Federal criminal lawyers here in Atlanta know Judge Martin well because she served as a district court judge here in the Northern District of Georgia for about nine years. In 2010, the Senate confirmed Judge Martin for a seat on the Eleventh Circuit by a vote of 97-0.
Although Judge Martin has only been a federal appellate judge for a relatively short period of time, she is well on her way to leaving her mark on a court that many see as often leaning towards the Government in criminal cases. Because of the balance that she has brought to this Circuit, many of us that practice in the area of federal criminal defense are particularly fond of Judge Martin. I certainly fall into that category. I tried my first case in front of Judge Martin not long after she came onto the District Court bench and Paul and I have appeared before her many times since. We all miss seeing her in the Green Room cafeteria over at the federal courthouse in Atlanta.
In my experience, Judge Martin is not only a smart, hard working Judge but she (most importantly) has a heart. She wears a robe but she is a down-to-earth person who understands that the decisions that she makes as a judge have a real impact in the lives of the litigants before the court, as well as their families.
I am sure it will be a full house, so come out early to hear Judge Martin this Wednesday at noon at the Gordon Biersch Brewery on Peachtree in Midtown Atlanta. Great job to the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar for lining up Judge Martin for this week, and thank you to Judge Martin for agreeing to appear!!