Sep. 13, 2012
Judy C. Clarke
See more on Judy C. ClarkeClark & Rice APC San Diego Litigation Specialty: capital trials, indigent defense
Many attorneys have selflessly devoted their careers to upholding the constitutional rights of criminal defendants who have allegedly committed heinous crimes. Few, however, have been as committed to the cause as Clarke, who has spent her career representing clients including mass murderers, terrorists and child killers.
It's a job that routinely puts Clarke in the spotlight, but that's not a position she relishes - the San Diego-based attorney is notoriously press shy and did not respond to request for comment.
Over the course of her career, Clarke has been involved in the defense of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber and Zacarias Moussaoui, one of the architects of the 9/11 plot. Most recently, she secured the plea deal that kept Jared Lee Loughner, the shooter who killed six people and wounded 13 others in Arizona, from death row. Those wounded included U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Her co-counsel in the Kaczynski case, Quin A. Denvir, praised her defense work.
"Usually there's not a question of guilt in these cases, but of the outcome and sentence that is handed down," Denvir said. "She's very good at organizing a defense team to effect the outcome of the case."
The Loughner case posed a few particularly thorny issues for Clarke. One of the most pressing was the fact that the head of the federal judiciary in Arizona was killed in shooting.
Clarke argued successfully that an outside judge would have to be brought in to oversee the proceedings, which observers said helped secure the acceptance of the plea.
The case had all the classic signs of case run by Clarke, according to Denvir who said he has never seen a person combine her work ethic and empathy.
"She's very persuasive and works very hard - indefatigable even," he said. "At the same time she shows great empathy towards defendants and they respond to that."
Clarke, who was born and raised in North Carolina, is also known for her ability to appeal to juries with strong arguments and an unassuming style.
"She's a wonderful trial lawyer and she also can be very folksy at times," Denvir said. "Sometimes that Southern accent comes out."
- HENRY MEIER
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