Don DeGabrielle Dies, 64

Don DeGabrielle

NAFUSA member Donald J. DeGabrielle died Monday, January 22, 2018, from complications of liver disease. He was 64. Don served in the Southern District of Texas, 2006-2008. He served in the office as an assistant U.S. attorney for 20 years. He also was a FBI agent in New York and New Orleans, and chief of trials in Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office in New Orleans.

He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and received his undergraduate degree from McNeese State University and his law degree from Louisiana State University.

He is survived by his wife Catherine, daughter, Crystal, son, Hunter, brother Jeb Barsh, and sister Brandy Wheeler.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, February 1, 2018, at The Sanctuary at Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway, Houston. As is our custom, at our request an American flag was flown over Main Justice today in Don’s honor and will be presented to his family as a token of the respect with which he was held by his colleagues.

Click here to read the obituary in the Houston Chronicle

 

Flag flown over Main Justice on January 25 in honor of Don DeGabrielle

 

Heaphy Authors Report Critical of Charlottesville’s Response to White Supremacist Rally

Tim Heaphy

NAFUSA Board Member Tim Heaphy, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia (2009-2014), issued a 207-page report on December 1, 2017, finding the Charlottesville Police Department was “ill-prepared, lacked proper training and devised a flawed plan for responding to the white supremacist rally that rocked the city in August, leading to ‘disastrous results’”, as reported by The Washington Post. 

Heaphy’s law firm, Hunton & Williams, was hired by the City of Charlottesville to conduct an independent review to access the city’s response to three separate white supremacist events in the city earlier this year. The police department received much of the blame, but the report also is critical of the City Council, attorneys from the city and state, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia State Police. The Charlottesville police chief, Al Thomas, resigned today, effective immediately.

Read the full report: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/local/report-reviewing-protest-related-events-in-charlottesville/2654/

Catherine Hanaway Named to NAFUSA Board

In November, 2017, Greg Scott stepped down from the NAFUSA board of directors as a result of his appointment by President Trump to return to his position as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, where he had previously served from 2003 to 2009. The NAFUSA Board of Directors has unanimously selected Catherine Hanaway to fill Greg’s vacancy of the board in the class of 2018. Catherine served as the United States Attorney for the ED of Missouri from 2005-2009. She is currently a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP in St, Louis.

On December 13, NAFUSA board member Jenny Durkan advised that her new job as Mayor of the City of Seattle requires her to step down from her board position in the class of 2019. President Hal Hardin will call a meeting of the nominating committee to make a recommendation to the board of a successor to replace Jenny. The vacancy must go to a NAFUSA member who has served in a Democratic administration.

2017 Fiske Fellows Named

As reported in Law Quadrangle, Notes From Michigan Law:

The 2017 Fiske Fellows had an opportunity to meet their benefactor, Bob Fiske, ’55, HLLD ’97, in Ann Arbor in April. Pictured with Fiske are Fellows (left to right) Andrew Sand, ’15, an assistant general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Danielle Angeli, ’16, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, general crimes unit; Sommer Engels, ’16, an honors attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s environment and natural resources division, appellate section; and Matt Evans, ‘15, a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s environment and natural resources division, environmental crimes section. The Fiske Fellowship Program encourages recent graduates to pursue positions as government lawyers. The Fellowship pays both college and law school debt for three years plus a stipend.

Bob served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1976-1980) and is senior counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. This is Bob’s 16th year awarding the Fiske Fellows fellowships. He is a long time member of NAFUSA.

Doug Jones Elected in Alabama

Bob Miller for the New York Times

On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, NAFUSA member Doug Jones was elected to the United States Senate by the voters of the State of Alabama. Doug was in line to be NAFUSA’s president this year, but stepped down to run for the vacancy created when Jeff Sessions left the Senate to become the Attorney General. Doug won a close election over Roy Moore, who has yet to concede. It is unlikely, however, that there will be a recount as Doug’s victory was by more than 20,000 votes. Tuesday was also Doug and Louise’s 25th wedding anniversary. You can see them celebrating above.

See the New York Times profile of Doug: Doug Jones: A Lawyer in the Thick of Alabama’s Big Moments

On December 15, 2017, The Tennessean published an article Doug Jones, Hal  Hardin share a bond of friendship and justice  which discusses how Doug was in line to become president of NAFUSA but stepped down to run for the Senate. Hal Hardin, who took his place to become president of NAFUSA said “I’m so proud of Doug. He is a bridge builder, not a super-partisan person. Obviously it’s bridge builders that our nation needs right now- someone who can work with all kinds of people to find common ground, and work for the good of the country.”

Past NAFUSA Presidents Don Stern, Greg Vega and Rick Deane were joined by NAFUSA member Walter Holton in campaigning for Doug in Alabama this past weekend. Doug acknowledged the support of his U.S. Attorney friends in his acceptance speech.

Rick Deane, Don Stern, Doug Jones, Greg Vega and Walter Holton (December 12, 2017)

 

 

Doug Jones in the Headlines

NAFUSA member Doug Jones would have been the NAFUSA president today if he had not stepped down last fall to run for the United States Senate to fill the Jeff Sessions vacancy in Alabama. His race against Roy Moore has become the most important election in the country. It will be decided tomorrow. Doug has had a lot of support from a number of his colleagues at NAFUSA. Past NAFUSA Presidents Don Stern and Greg Vega were joined by NAFUSA member Walt Holton campaigning over the weekend in Alabama.

Don Stern, Doug Jones, Greg Vega and Walter Holton in Montgomery, Alabama 12/11/2017

AG Picks Jim Crowell as Acting Director of EOUSA

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on December 6, 2017, that James A. Crowell IV has been named Acting Director for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA).

“Jim Crowell is an exceptional career prosecutor, who has served with distinction in a variety of leadership roles in the Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Jim has been an outstanding public servant and principled leader.  I am grateful he has agreed to take on this responsibility, and I look forward to continuing to work with him and the U.S. Attorneys as we continue our efforts to deter crime, promote the rule of law, and ensure equal justice for everyone.”

Prior to this appointment, James Crowell served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Acting Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.  Before joining the Deputy Attorney General’s office, Crowell was the Criminal Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, where he began as an Assistant United States Attorney.  As Criminal Chief, Crowell oversaw the work of over 85 Assistant U.S. Attorneys involved in criminal prosecutions, including national security, violent crime, fraud and corruption, cybercrime, narcotics, asset forfeiture, and money laundering, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Project Safe Child, Project Safe Neighborhood, and related anti-crime programs. Crowell also served as the Chief of the Southern Division.

James Crowell is the recipient of numerous law enforcement awards, including all three of the Department of Defense’s highest civilian awards, recognizing his effort to combat contract fraud and corruption involving military contracts.

Hardin Presents Flag to Family of Ernie Williams

On November 9, 2017,  NAFUSA President Hal Hardin presented  the family of  Ernie Williams with a flag flown over the Department of Justice in his honor.  Ernie died in November, 2016. It is a tradition for NAFUSA to request the flying of an American flag which is presented to the families of former United States Attorneys during bereavement.  The presentation took place in the Williamson County Historic Courthouse with family and friends in attendance.  Williams  was appointed by President Bush and served as US Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1991-1993.