Mike Soccio, Chief Deputy DA

In January, 2001, Riverside police detective Doug Jacobs was shot in the face by Steve Woodruff as Jacobs and his partner tried to arrest Woodruff's brother. Jacobs, 30, was married and the father of a 2-year-old daughter.

The prosecutor was Chief Deputy DA, Mike Soccio, and the death penalty was sought. The defense attorney had a reputation for outrageous conduct, and claimed excessive force by police, cover-up, mental retardation, brain-damage and race relations.

Throughout the 3-month trial, Mike demonstrated not only his outstanding skills as a trial attorney, but extraordinary patience and professionalism. In the end, the jury convicted the defendant of all counts and sentenced Woodruff to death. Of the case presented by Soccio, a member of the victim's family said it best:

"Thank you doesn't seem enough for what you have done for our family. You gave us hope, when there was none; you have helped restore some of our faith in the judicial system. Your office puts fear into the minds of criminals. Thank you."

In the Riverside County DA's office, Mike Soccio is the "go to" guy. The list of complicated and controversial cases he has tried is too long to mention here. He serves as a role model for and teacher of prosecutors, not only in his office, but throughout California.

"Mike embodies all the attributes of an exemplary prosecutor: character, integrity, work ethic, legal and trial skills and a comprehensive approach to 21st century issues facing prosecutors today."

Combine that with a deep seated commitment to justice and you have Mike Soccio."

Ferris Wharton, a prosecutor for 20 years, was assigned as lead prosecutor.

Tom Capano was a former prosecutor, counsel to the Governor, and an integral part of Delaware's powerful political community. He was convicted of 1st Degree Murder and has been sentenced to death for killing Anne Marie Fahey when she attempted to end their relationship. Fahey was employed as the scheduler for then Governor of Delaware, Thomas Carper.

Capano, who was married, dined with Fahey in Philadelphia, killed her in Delaware, placed her body in a cooler, took her out to sea off the coast of New Jersey and threw her overboard, weighted by anchors and chains. Her body was never recovered.

Ms. Fahey's involvement with Capano was not known to her family and it was through her diary, discovered as a missing persons investigation was begun, that her relationship with him was discovered.

The assistance of federal authorities was sought as a result of multiple jurisdictions. After a lengthy 15-month investigation, it became clear that the State of Delaware would prosecute the case.

Ferris Wharton, a prosecutor for 20 years, was assigned as lead prosecutor. This case was extremely complex and presented a number of challenges: suffocating media attention, a defendant with extensive financial resources, multiple defense attorneys, massive motions and filings and media pandering by the defense.

He handled himself with extraordinary professionalism throughout this difficult case. He refused to try the case in the media and did not over reach the facts during their presentation. The success of this prosecution was a direct result of an unrelenting determination to see that justice was done.

Ferris Wharton personifies the high tradition of America's prosecutors and, once again, showed that even people with connections, money or high-powered attorneys, cannot dissuade those committed to justice and fairness.

John Floyd and J. Tom Morgan receive their Louisville Sluggers from Dan Alsobrooks and Bob Honecker.

In 1996, Sidney Dorsey was elected to the politically powerful and influential position of Sheriff of Dekalb County, Georgia. Almost immediately, Dorsey began to abuse that power which allowed him authority over a $52 million dollar budget and more than 750 employees.

In 2000, Dorsey sought re-election but was challenged by Derwin Brown. A run-off election was required. Before the election, word of a corruption investigation involving the sheriff's office appeared in the media and Derwin Brown, the challenger, won the election.

Immediately, Dorsey plotted the assassination of Brown believing that he could run and win a special election if Brown were killed. Dorsey used deputies to carry out the plan which also targeted J. Tom Morgan as the second victim. On Dec. 15, 2000, prior to taking office, Derwin Brown was gunned down in his front yard by Melvin Walker. He was aided by Patrick Cuffy, David Ramsey, and Paul Skyers.

Cuffy and Skyers were granted immunity and agreed to testify against Walker and Ramsey. The trial was held in Dekalb County and both defendants were acquitted. The prosecutor, J. Tom Morgan, received a great deal of criticism for the immunity deal and the loss of such a high profile case. Dorsey had many supporters and it was generally felt that another acquittal would spell Dorsey's re-election and J. Tom's return to private life.

However, the prosecution never flinched. Dorsey's case was moved to south Georgia for trial. J. Tom recruited John Floyd to join the prosecution team. He is a nationally recognized expert and lecturer on RICO prosecutions at the National College. He is also a partner in what is thought by most as the top trial law firm in Atlanta. His firm is also recognized for its commitment to pro bono work. John chose prosecution for his pro bono efforts and he was sworn in as a Special Assistant District Attorney.

Dorsey was subsequently charged with murder/corruption in a 52-page RICO indictment. The trial lasted over 5 weeks and was held 200 miles from home. John Floyd took all that time from his lucrative practice to be a crucial part of the prosecution team. In the end, Dorsey was convicted and is now serving a life sentence.

None of us ever choose to prosecute powerful political figures in difficult cases. However, America's prosecutors are often faced with those career challenges. Fortunately, America's prosecutors believe that integrity and principle are far more important than one's political future. J. Tom Morgan did, and he walked the talk.

So did John Floyd when he dropped what he was doing to provide invaluable assistance in the prosecution of a corrupt and dangerous lawman. He did not receive one dime for his hours and hours of work. His pay will have to be the satisfaction of righting a wrong and the humble gratitude of his new friends and fellow prosecutors.

Tony Clayton receives his Louisville Slugger from Bob Honecker, Dan Alsobrooks, Doug Moreau and John Sinquefield.

In July, 1999, Leroy George and several friends attended a party across town in North Baton Rouge. While at the party, he and his friends engaged in a fist fight with a group of young men who were from that neighborhood. During the fight, several shots were fired and the party was broken up.

Leroy George sped away in a 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88. He went around the block and returned to the scene of the party. As he approached the vicinity, he saw the group of young people leaving the party and crossing the street. They were on the sidewalk under a street light. George accelerated his car, left the roadway, drove onto the sidewalk and mowed through 13 young people. He killed 5 and the rest were seriously injured. He sped away from the scene, leaving body parts strewn over a 1,000 foot crime scene. The deceased victims were ages 13, 15, 16 and 19. Several days later, detectives found Mr. George's vehicle covered and hidden in his backyard. Body parts were still attached to the hood and under carriage.

Leroy George was indicted on 5 counts of First Degree Murder, a capital offense in Louisiana. Tony Clayton was the prosecutor. All capital case are difficult, but this case presented a great many obstacles for Tony: The defendant was 18 years old and had no criminal record; the number of counts; the volume of evidence; the number of victims and the complexity of the circumstances surrounding the event; and, it was a vehicular homicide prosecution.

Tony offered to recommend 5 life sentences if the defendant pled guilty. The defendant claimed innocence and would only consider pleading guilty to minor felonies. The case went to trial -- it took 34 days to complete this capital case. The defense fought every inch and every issue. The jury found Leroy George guilty on all counts and he received 5 death sentences.

Later, with the agreement of the victim's families, the death sentences were replaced by 5 sentences of life without parole to avoid further traumatizing the families by the never-ending appeals of death sentences.

Tony Clayton is best described by his colleague, John Sinquefield:

"Tony Clayton's skills as a legal scholar, trial tactician and orator, are only exceeded by his work ethic and integrity. Tony is relentless in his search for justice."

While some would be cowed by peer pressure, not Tony. To him, the law applies to all equally. The justice Tony Clayton seeks knows no race, no color, no creed, no socioeconomic status. We are proud to call him our colleague.

Left to right: Bob Honecker, Vincent Sarubbi, Jim Lynch and Dan Alsobrooks

On November 1, 1994, prominent southern New Jersey Rabbi Fred Neulander arrived at his home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, from his synagogue to find his wife of 29 years, Carol, sprawled on the parlor floor, dead, bludgeoned to death. Carol Neulander's murder set off 8 years of investigation.

At first, investigators had few leads in the slaying of Carol Neulander, a bakery manager and mother of three. Police suspicions soon turned to the rabbi who had been caught in lies about an affair he had been having with a Philadelphia radio personality. Neulander told police that he believed Carol was killed during a robbery attempt. In 1998, the rabbi was indicted for murder, but the case against him was entirely circumstantial. Two years later in 2000, a private investigator, Len Jerloff, told investigators that he and an accomplice killed Carol Neulander and that the rabbi had paid him to do it. He said he gave his accomplice part of the $18,000 the rabbi paid him to kill her and make it look like a botched robbery.

In a nationally televised trial in 2001, jurors were unable to reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. The rabbi's 2nd trial was moved from Camden to Monmouth County because of the intense publicity in Philadelphia and the large New Jersey suburb of Cherry Hill. The 2nd trial ended with the rabbi convicted of First Degree Murder. He is now in prison serving a sentence of 30 years to life.

The prosecutor was 1st Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Jim Lynch. Numerous people have described Jim's conduction of the prosecution of this pressure-packed, high profile case:

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi: Jim's efforts over the past several weeks have been nothing short of brilliant and heroic.

Carol Neulander's sister, Margaret Miele, after the verdict: "Now we struggle to find words to express our heartfelt gratitude to the First Assistant Prosecutor, Jim Lynch, for his tremendous skill, perseverance and compassion."

Bob Honecker, in whose city the 2nd trial was held: "This conviction was obtained primarily by the determined and inspiring efforts of Jim Lynch. From the mouth of the Defendant, Rabbi Neulander, to Barbara Walters during an interview for 20/20: "I believe I was convicted by a prosecutor at the top of his game."

Jim Lynch exemplifies the outstanding qualities necessary to carry out the important duties of today's prosecutor: integrity, legal skills, determination, perseverance, fairness and justice. Jim, your dedication and professionalism are a credit to all of America's prosecutors and we thank you.

Kings County DA, Charles J. Hynes (center), Michael Vecchione (right), Deputy DA, Rackets Division and John Dixon (left) the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Rackets Division were awarded their Louisville Sluggers.

Victor Barron was a New York Supreme Court Judge. In New York State, a Supreme Court Judge is a trial judge who can be assigned to the criminal term or the civil term.

In January, 2002, Judge Barron was presiding in a civil term dealing with personal injury cases. Barron had presided over an auto accident case in which a child suffered permanent injuries. The family of the child decided to settle the case for $4.9 million, but needed Judge Barron's approval for it to be finalized.

Judge Barron invented legal obstacles that he claimed prevented him from approving the settlement. He told the lawyer for the plaintiffs outside the courthouse that he would only approve the settlement if he was paid $250,000 by the plaintiff's attorney.

The plaintiff's attorney contacted the Kings County District Attorney's office about the bribe solicitation by Judge Barron. The attorney was debriefed and additional meetings between the attorney and the judge were arranged. The attorney wore an electronic listening device concealed in his clothing during the subsequent meetings with the judge. At the final meeting, Judge Barron accepted $18,000 in cash as a down payment on the bribe. Soon thereafter, the judge was arrested.

A special judge was assigned to hear the case. He immediately ruled that all proceedings could be televised to the public. Two months later, Judge Barron plead guilty to avoid the humiliation, shame and degradation as a result of cameras in the courtroom. He is now serving a term of 3 to 9 years in a New York State Penitentiary in solitary confinement.

The case was prosecuted by Kings County DA, Charles J. Hynes, Michael Vecchione, Deputy DA, Rackets Division and John Dixon the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Rackets Division. To undertake the investigation and prosecution of a sitting judge is fraught with difficulties. They each exhibited outstanding legal skills, integrity and a dogged determination to protect the reputation of our justice system against a dishonest judge.

The public must have confidence in our justice system. Victor Barron's dishonest behavior as a sitting judge strikes at the very heart of the integrity of the criminal justice system. Joe Hynes, Michael Vecchione and John Dixon know that no person, even a judge, is above the law. They upheld the tradition of America's prosecutors to hold every person accountable for their acts, regardless of their position. They made us proud.

Paulette Sanders, Chief Deputy District Attorney for Lincoln County, Oregon	Steven Briggs, Assistant Attorney General in the DA Assistant Division

Around Christmas, 2001, the bloated body of a small child was discovered floating face down near the shore of Waldport Bay on the central Oregon coast. Two days later, the submerged body of a 3-year-old girl was discovered in the same area by divers. On December 27th, police divers found two more bodies. The traumatized bodies of a 37-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy were crammed into a trunk on the bottom of Yaquina Bay.

The woman was MaryJane Longo and the 3 children were identified as the children of MaryJane and Christian Longo. He was a good looking, smooth talking, small time con man who had recently traveled to the Oregon coast with his wife and 3 children.

Longo quickly emerged as a suspect and a manhunt was undertaken to locate him. The investigation revealed that he had stolen a credit card, assumed the card-holder's identity and fled to Mexico, where he was found and arrested by FBI and Mexican police while he was drinking beer, snorkeling and having sex with the German photographer who was traveling with him. He agreed to accompany FBI agents back to the United States without any assurances regarding the death penalty.

After returning to Oregon, he was charged with several counts of Aggravated Murder and the death penalty was sought. The prosecutors were Paulette Sanders, Chief Deputy District Attorney for Lincoln County, Oregon and Steven Briggs, Assistant Attorney General in the DA Assistant Division.

Longo's defense attorneys were top notch. Together, they had defended 26 death penalty cases and only one was sentenced to death. The case received massive media attention, both regionally and nationally, and the attendant circus atmosphere made an already challenging case even more difficult.

The hard-fought trial lasted 4 weeks. The jury found Longo guilty on 4 counts of Aggravated Murder and sentenced him to death for killing his wife and three children. Paulette Sanders and Steven Briggs prosecuted this difficult, high-profile case in the manner we have come to expect from such dedicated and experienced career prosecutors. They were not distracted from their goal by the omnipresent media. They maintained the professionalism required of America's prosecutors, while being relentless in their search for justice. As Josh Marquis of Oregon said of these two, "They are truly top-notch prosecutors."

Toby Shook receives his Louisville Slugger from Dan Alsobrooks, Henry Garza and Bob Honecker.

We all remember the daring prison break of 7 dangerous inmates from a maximum security prison near Kenedy, Texas in mid December, 2000. The "Texas 7", as they came to be known, were at-large for 42 days, during which time they committed numerous robberies in Texas and on Christmas Eve, 2000, they shot and killed Irving Police Officer, Aubrey Hawkins. Officer Hawkins was shot 11 times and run over.

Who can forget the live television coverage of the capture of 4 of the "Texas 7" at that trailer camp ground just outside Colorado Springs, Colorado. A 5th shot himself. The remaining 2 fugitives were captured 2 days later in Colorado, Springs. We all remember that, but what about the rest of the story?

Immediately after the escape, Toby Shook, an Assistant Dallas County District Attorney for 18 years, took on the "Texas 7." He took charge of the investigation to locate and capture the escaped convicts.

On Feb. 1, 2001, the six surviving escapees were indicted on capital murder charges by a Dallas County grand jury. The prosecution sought the death penalty for each defendant.

Toby Shook, the lead prosecutor in these cases, spent untold hours preparing, gathering the evidence and facts, developing strategy and anticipating defenses and rebuttal.

In August, 2001, George Rivas was sentenced to death.

January, 2002, Donald Newbury was sentenced to death.

May, 2002, Michael Rodriguez was sentenced to death.

February, 2003, Joseph Garcia sentenced to death

June, 2003, Randy Halprin was sentenced to death.

The 6th defendant is set for trial.

Dallas County DA, Bill Hill, describes Toby Shook:

"Toby is passionate, dedicated and committed to the rule of law and communicates that passion to juries. He is quick and astute, an excellent judge of personality and character, and very adept in analyzing potential jurors. Not only did Toby artfully prosecute these cases, but did so capably and cleanly, so there is virtually no error on which any defendant could complain on appeal."

"His sense of justice and fairness is apparent and is exemplified in his conduct both in and out of the courtroom. Toby is liked by all because he is sincere, humble and relates to others in an easy manner."

On the front lines, where the rule of law meets the law-breaker, Toby Shook has demonstrated the excellence that makes America's prosecutors proud.

Bob Horan receives his Louisville Slugger from Dan Alsobrooks and Bob Honecker.

Fairfax, Virginia

We are grateful for those prosecutors we have all known who set high standards for the rest of us to aspire. Legal skills, integrity, professionalism, fairness, dedication to justice; they have it and show us how it's done as long serving career prosecutors. We are fortunate to have such role models in the brotherhood we call America's Prosecutors.

The Bob & Ray Foundation For Truth & Justice believes that it is important that we recognize our role models and thank them for the fine examples they set for all of us for so many years. We want to begin that recognition process today by giving one such person the Prosecutor Hall of Fame's Lifetime Achievement Award.

We asked a person who knows our inductee well to explain to the impact he has had on prosecution. Former NDAA Board Member and Virginia Court of Appeals Judge Bob Humphries wrote:

Bob Horan has been the elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Fairfax County, Virginia for over 37 years. He is the dean of Virginia's prosecutors and any of them would say that he is the "gold standard" of prosecution, competence and professionalism. Bob has been described by the Washington press as a "hard-charging ex-marine" which is both accurate and a badge of honor and pride for Bob. He is from Irish Catholic stock in New Brunswick, New Jersey and honed his debating skills over the dinner table with his father, a bookkeeper, who wanted to be a lawyer but couldn't afford to go to law school. Bob joined the Marine Corp and then went to law school on the GI Bill.

Bob heads the office whose jurisdiction is the largest in Virginia, but never has been just a manager of prosecutors. He is first and foremost a trial lawyer and the courtroom is where you are most likely to find him on any given day.

The trial of juvenile sniper John Lee Malvo is the sort of case most prosecutors would never see in an entire career, but it is only the latest in a series of cases, which have attracted national and international attention, for which Bob has been responsible.

In 1976, Bob convicted James Breeden of executing 4 people and wounding a 6th in the walk-in freezer of a fast food restaurant.

More recently, in 1993, in a case attracting international attention, Bob convicted Aimal Khan Kasi, a Pakistani, of the murder of two CIA employees. Kasi was sentenced to death.

His statewide reputation is such that when local prosecutors must recuse themselves from the prosecution of an elected official, Virginia's judges most often look to Bob Horan to step in as a special prosecutor.

Bob is a lecturer on the subject of prosecution professionalism. He glories in the fact that prosecutors are held to a higher professional standard than other lawyers and will be the first to tell you that is as it should be. In short, Bob Horan was one of my heroes when I was a prosecutor and he remains one today."

Well said, Bob Humphries. You speak for all of us.

Illinois prosecutors receive their Louisville Sluggers.

Cook County States Attorneys Office

When George Ryan, former Governor of Illinois, commuted the death sentences of every condemned killer on Illinois' death row, regardless of the guilt of the killer and the brutal facts, he ignored the families of many murder victims and victimized them all over again.

The prosecutors of Illinois stood tall in support of those still grieving families. They represented all of America's prosecutors as they fought to protect the rights of those victims and their families. We acknowledge the heroic efforts of those prosecutors and staffs to protect the rights of crime victim's on behalf of the rest of us.

Dick Devine is the elected State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois. He was a vocal critic of the process dumped on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and the victims' families by disgraced ex-Governor Ryan. He decried the 15 minutes originally allotted for victims' family members by the ex-Governor. Dick requested full and fair hearings. The board agreed. Sensing that Ryan had already made up his mind, Devine and other prosecutors asked that the hearings be called off to spare the victims' families the pain of reliving their loved ones' murders.

Dick led by example during the Capital Case Clemency hearings and argued against clemency for Lawrence Jackson who, along with a co-defendant, executed four people during a home invasion. He also attempted to murder a 4-year-old by stabbing her over 40 times. She survived to testify at trial and at the clemency hearing.

Dick was also president of the Illinois State's Attorneys' Association at the time of the hearings. The Association conducted a careful review of death penalty recommendations of Ryan's death penalty "reforms." Dick met with members of the Illinois General Assembly and proposed a workable death penalty reform package. One reform that was passed was to provide full and fair clemency hearings.

Bernie Murray is the Chief of the Criminal Prosecution's Bureau for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He helped coordinate Cook County's response to the clemency petitions. He created teams of prosecutors for every petition to fight for justice. Bernie also helped coordinate a victims' forum with prosecutor teams and involved the Cook County Victim Witness Unit.

Renee Goldfarb is the supervisor of Cook County's Criminal Appeals Division. Renee assisted in the coordination of the filing of written responses to capital clemency petitions in Cook County. To say this undertaking was difficult is an understatement. Over 90 murderers claimed they were entitled to clemency. The response was the equivalent of filing a death penalty appeal before the State Supreme Court. The work of Renee and her appellate lawyers was spectacular and far more professional than the fill-in-the-blank petitions filed by the killers.

Alan Spellburg is a Deputy Supervisor in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Cook County State's Attorneys' Office. Alan provided the format and strategy for responses to the killer's petitions. The Cook County State's Attorneys' office filed individualized responses to each murderer's petition. Alan's format greatly assisted all the response writers in achieving this goal.

Marie Quinlivan Czech is a Deputy Supervisor in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. She is one of the most experienced appellate prosecutors. During the clemency hearings, she was one of the most influential response writers from Cook County. On case after case, Marie wrote impassionately and exposed how truly deserving the killer's were of their death sentences.

Karen McKenna represents the Cook County State's Attorney's Victims Witness Assistant Unit. They were invaluable in locating long lost family members of homicide murder victims. They created a Family Forum before the hearings to permit the prosecutor teams to meet the families of the victims. During the hearings, she and the unit members coordinated the family members' appearances at the hearings. The assistance of the Victim Witness Assistant Unit was invaluable in assisting crime victims to present their thoughts.

DuPage County States Attorneys Office

Joe Birkett is the elected State's Attorney for DuPage County, Illinois. DuPage County prosecutors presented testimony and arguments against clemency in some of the most graphically violent death penalty cases heard during the hearings.

No case was more riveting than the Debbie Evans case. Defendants Jacquelyn Williams and Fidel Caffey sought clemency from the death penalty for their roles in the triple murder. Williams wanted a baby. Her way of obtaining that child was to, along with Caffey and Vern Ward, cut a near-term baby out of Debbie's body. The newborn survived. Debbie did not. They also killed Evans' other 2 young children fearing they would become witnesses.

Joe continues the fight against Ryan's unjust orders of clemency. DuPage County filed an original action in the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn all of the clemencies claiming that Ryan exceeded the Governor's powers. Part of that case is still pending today.

John Kinsella was the First Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County, Illinois, until he was recently appointed to the position of Associate Judge in DuPage County. John led the strategy and tactics for DuPage County's responses to the clemency hearings and he brought a common sense, courtroom experience view to the debate.

Peoria County States Attorneys Office

Kevin Lyons is the elected State's Attorney for Peoria, Illinois. He was an early, vocal critic of ex-Governor Ryan's death penalty moratorium. Kevin and his office vigorously argued against petitions for clemency in the hearings held in Springfield. While most of the media attention was focused on the Chicago hearings, Kevin was a beacon for justice in the southern half of the state through his advocacy for Peoria victims.

Lake County States Attorneys Office

Mike Waller is the elected State's Attorney for Lake County, Illinois. Mike was one of the very few current prosecutors appointed to ex-Governor Ryan's ill-fated capital reform committee. On that committee, Mike was often the dissenting vote.

During the pendency of the clemency petitions, Mike publicly challenged the Governor to make his intentions clear. Mike, along with others, asked Ryan to cancel the hearings to save the families the agony of reliving the murders of their loved ones.

Winnebago County States Attorneys Office

Paul Logli is the elected State's Attorney for Winnebago County. Not only was he an active voice in opposition to the clemency petitions, but he made certain that the members of the NDAA Board of Directors were kept current on the status of those petitions.