Post by CCADP on Feb 1, 2006 8:46:28 GMT -5
Q&A: Carla Ryan, Tucson attorney
Tucson attorney Carla Ryan, 55, is known for her work in death penalty
law. She has appeared before the World Court in The Hague - "it was an
astonishing experience; there was no bullying, skepticism or disdain from
the judges," she said - and the U.S. Supreme Court on several occasions.
The former Arizona State University professor of law and former Pima
County public defender is in private practice. She talked about some of
her experiences and legal views with Citizen reporter Anthony Gimino.
Question: What were your professional experiences in front of Sandra Day
O'Connor?
Answer: Justice O'Connor was the first judge I ever appeared before when
she was on the Maricopa County Superior Court. It was a divorce case. The
firm I worked for represented the husband.
She was so intimidating! She was very conservative and certainly not
interested in a very young, naive lawyer with no experience and little
reputation. When she was nominated to the United States Supreme Court, I
was horrified.
But she surprised me on my cases in the Supreme Court. She was much more
cordial and even became a little more liberal. That's not to say she was
liberal, but in comparison to others....
She was very concerned about judicial errors and the misuse of capital
punishment. Now, I wish she was not retiring.
Q: If Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is confirmed, what would you
expect of his interpretation of the Constitution?
A: This is a tough one because he has been so evasive in his answers to
inquiries. I do believe he will be very anti-women issues ... and very
supportive of this White House and their misuse of power. I believe he
will quickly side with Justices Scalia and Thomas.
Q: Legally speaking, what gives you the most pause about the death
penalty?
A: Human error. Who receives the death penalty in the United States
depends on who the prosecutor is or the county where the crime occurred.
Some counties and states refuse to seek death just because of the price of
litigation. Or sometimes it depends on who is appointed to represent the
defendant, and race - not so much of the defendant, but of the victim.
Moreover, the majority of individuals on death row are mentally ill, poor
and uneducated. We have CEOs of companies that destroy millions of
people's lives and, in reality, cause these people not only economic
hardship, but also cause them to commit suicide. They're never considered
as candidates for execution.
Q: What's important right now, in the courts or government, regarding the
death penalty?
A: I believe the courts and the governments, instead of just pushing for
the execution or the conviction, should slow down and take the time to
study the situation. The death penalty is excessively expensive - and not
just because of defense lawyers.
Mistakes are made. Attorneys are appointed without the experience or the
resources to be able to competently represent defendants. The majority of
capital cases involve mentally ill individuals. And then we have
overzealous prosecutors. I'm not saying all, but some. Just like some
defense lawyers are ineffective and others are not.
The money being spent to look like Arizona is tough on crime should be
reallocated to education and mental health. These 2 areas are deprived of
funding and will in the long run do more to stop violent crime than any
execution.
Q: Does being involved in capital cases in a town the size of Tucson give
you any undesired attention?
A: I have suffered from hate mail, hundreds of death threats, having my
mailbox blown up on more than one occasion, and the execution of one of my
German shepherds. I have had tomatoes thrown at my vehicles. I have had
pickets outside of my office. All because I was appointed to represent an
individual accused of capital murder.
Friends of mine have had to take their children out of public schools and,
on at least one occasion, relocate their family out of state.
We all know that the defense lawyer is there to make sure that the
Constitution is followed and that the prosecutor proves that an individual
is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, some individuals see
the defense lawyer as the criminal.
Q: You're also a noted chef. What would you ask for your last meal?
A: If it was going to be my last meal, I would ask for a thousand-year-old
dinosaur egg with a mushroom-and-wine sauce. I would hope that the egg
would not be available and my last meal would be stayed. I always want to
have another argument to present to the courts.
(source: Tucson Citizen)
Tucson attorney Carla Ryan, 55, is known for her work in death penalty
law. She has appeared before the World Court in The Hague - "it was an
astonishing experience; there was no bullying, skepticism or disdain from
the judges," she said - and the U.S. Supreme Court on several occasions.
The former Arizona State University professor of law and former Pima
County public defender is in private practice. She talked about some of
her experiences and legal views with Citizen reporter Anthony Gimino.
Question: What were your professional experiences in front of Sandra Day
O'Connor?
Answer: Justice O'Connor was the first judge I ever appeared before when
she was on the Maricopa County Superior Court. It was a divorce case. The
firm I worked for represented the husband.
She was so intimidating! She was very conservative and certainly not
interested in a very young, naive lawyer with no experience and little
reputation. When she was nominated to the United States Supreme Court, I
was horrified.
But she surprised me on my cases in the Supreme Court. She was much more
cordial and even became a little more liberal. That's not to say she was
liberal, but in comparison to others....
She was very concerned about judicial errors and the misuse of capital
punishment. Now, I wish she was not retiring.
Q: If Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is confirmed, what would you
expect of his interpretation of the Constitution?
A: This is a tough one because he has been so evasive in his answers to
inquiries. I do believe he will be very anti-women issues ... and very
supportive of this White House and their misuse of power. I believe he
will quickly side with Justices Scalia and Thomas.
Q: Legally speaking, what gives you the most pause about the death
penalty?
A: Human error. Who receives the death penalty in the United States
depends on who the prosecutor is or the county where the crime occurred.
Some counties and states refuse to seek death just because of the price of
litigation. Or sometimes it depends on who is appointed to represent the
defendant, and race - not so much of the defendant, but of the victim.
Moreover, the majority of individuals on death row are mentally ill, poor
and uneducated. We have CEOs of companies that destroy millions of
people's lives and, in reality, cause these people not only economic
hardship, but also cause them to commit suicide. They're never considered
as candidates for execution.
Q: What's important right now, in the courts or government, regarding the
death penalty?
A: I believe the courts and the governments, instead of just pushing for
the execution or the conviction, should slow down and take the time to
study the situation. The death penalty is excessively expensive - and not
just because of defense lawyers.
Mistakes are made. Attorneys are appointed without the experience or the
resources to be able to competently represent defendants. The majority of
capital cases involve mentally ill individuals. And then we have
overzealous prosecutors. I'm not saying all, but some. Just like some
defense lawyers are ineffective and others are not.
The money being spent to look like Arizona is tough on crime should be
reallocated to education and mental health. These 2 areas are deprived of
funding and will in the long run do more to stop violent crime than any
execution.
Q: Does being involved in capital cases in a town the size of Tucson give
you any undesired attention?
A: I have suffered from hate mail, hundreds of death threats, having my
mailbox blown up on more than one occasion, and the execution of one of my
German shepherds. I have had tomatoes thrown at my vehicles. I have had
pickets outside of my office. All because I was appointed to represent an
individual accused of capital murder.
Friends of mine have had to take their children out of public schools and,
on at least one occasion, relocate their family out of state.
We all know that the defense lawyer is there to make sure that the
Constitution is followed and that the prosecutor proves that an individual
is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, some individuals see
the defense lawyer as the criminal.
Q: You're also a noted chef. What would you ask for your last meal?
A: If it was going to be my last meal, I would ask for a thousand-year-old
dinosaur egg with a mushroom-and-wine sauce. I would hope that the egg
would not be available and my last meal would be stayed. I always want to
have another argument to present to the courts.
(source: Tucson Citizen)
