Second Victory for Troutman Sanders Pro Bono Team
ATLANTA - Sept. 6, 2016 – Troutman Sanders LLP announced that President Obama has commuted the sentence of firm pro bono client Michael Lattimore. Troutman Sanders worked with the Clemency Project 2014 to obtain Lattimore’s freedom.
In 2005, Lattimore was convicted for selling small amounts of cocaine. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the statutory minimum at the time. He has already served 11 years, one more than today’s statutory minimum.
“Working with Mr. Lattimore has been a deeply rewarding experience. I am delighted that Mr. Lattimore’s clemency petition was successful and that he has been granted a well-deserved sentence commutation.” said Katie Balthrop, Troutman Sanders lawyer. “Clemency Project 2014 changes lives by allowing nonviolent offenders a chance at freedom and provides lawyers an opportunity to work in a challenging area of the law.”
Lattimore is the second person in federal prison granted clemency this year as a result of Troutman Sanders pro bono efforts and one of 111 federal prisoners recently granted clemency across the country. He will be released from the prison system in December 2016.
Troutman Sanders pro bono client, 70-year old Wade Cutchen, was granted release in May after serving a lengthy sentence for a drug conspiracy.
About Clemency Project 2014
Clemency Project 2014 was formed in response to the Justice Department’s call for assistance when President Obama launched an initiative aimed at addressing the large number of federal inmates who are serving unjust and disproportionately
long sentences. The goal of the group is to help the Justice Department identify nonviolent prisoners, who, if sentenced today under current sentencing laws and policies, would likely have received a substantially lower sentence.
See
Clemency Project 2014 for more details.
About Troutman Sanders
With a diverse practice mix, workforce and footprint, Troutman Sanders has cultivated its reputation for a higher commitment to client care for over 120 years. Ideally positioned to help
clients across sectors realize their business goals, the firm’s 650 attorneys transact for growth, resolve mission-threatening disputes and navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges. See
troutman.com for more information.