Troutman Pepper Receives Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

WASHINGTON – A team of Troutman Pepper attorneys was recognized by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs with an Outstanding Achievement Award for their work in a matter that will help to clarify the rights of former prisoners who are paroled and then re-arrested without cause and in violation of federal law and due process.

In July 2019, the firm filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of client Marcus Rogers, who had been released from prison on parole into a half-way house and working at the time of his unlawful re-arrest in May, 2018. Rodgers was arrested after the United States Parole Commission rescinded his parole in order to allow for a victim impact statement that did not provide the Parole Commission with new information, in violation of applicable parole regulations and Rodgers’ constitutional rights.

A multi-office litigation team, including Partner Sam Abate (New York) and Associates Ralph Surman (Pittsburgh) and Josh Zeman (Detroit) counseled Rogers in this matter. Attorneys and staff at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee served as co-counsel. Through the collective efforts of the firm’s lawyers and the Committee, the team was able to get an accelerated parole hearing date for Rogers, only a few months after filing the habeas petition, after which the Parole Commission recommended that Rogers once again be granted parole but to become effective nine months later. While the hearing was still pending, the U.S. District Court granted the habeas petition and ordered that Rogers be released forthwith. He was released in March 2020, after having spent roughly 22 months in prison following his unlawful re-arrest. 

“We are pleased that Marcus has rightfully been given his freedom,” said Abate, who is a member of the firm’s Health Sciences Litigation Practice Group. “Our team worked collaboratively across multiple offices to help Marcus reunite with his family. We hope that this resolution will assist other prisoners who have also been wrongfully re-incarcerated without cause.” 

“It is an honor to bring justice to individuals like Marcus, who may not have the means to fight for themselves,” said Joseph Sullivan, Counsel and Director of Pro Bono Programs at Troutman Pepper. “I’m proud of our firm for continuously finding opportunities to represent the indigent and communities in need.”

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs was founded in 1968 to create legal, economic and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy. The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes area lawyers, law firms and other professionals that have contributed thousands of hours of their time co-counseling cases with the Committee.

The team will receive the award virtually during the annual Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon on June 16, 2021.

About Troutman Pepper

Troutman Pepper is a national law firm known for its higher commitment to client care. With more than 1,200 attorneys in 23 U.S. cities, the firm partners with clients across every industry sector to help them achieve their business goals. Read more about the firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices at troutman.com.