But Gardner was impressed with her accomplishments and more than a bit smitten. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { padding-left: 10px; The comments below have been moderated in advance. .widget-row.Democratic { 'The victims said the perpetrator had a light complexion, Afro-American and 6ft tall,' Gardner said. Gardner, 47, is another judge who would be making an unlikely leap from serving on a federal district court. U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner's ruling Wednesday came amid efforts by the Texas-based conservative group True The Vote to coordinate challenges to the registration of more than . Gardner said he has heard about Chapmans struggles to attract and support Black students. Julianna Michelle Childs has spent the past decade as a district court judge in South Carolina who was appointed by President Barack Obama. But the story of Leslies fiance, Jimmie Gardner, is as extraordinary as that of his soon-to-be family members. Everything I went through was for me to become a better person and to help other people.'. Dan Mac Guill is a former writer for Snopes. Even though he knew of this discovery, Gardner would spend another 23 years in prison. 'Baseball was going to be my future, God willing. }, Leslie Abrams Gardner is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. At 23 years old, he was sentenced to up to 110 years in prison. Whether that connection, in combination with her familial relationship with Abrams Gardner, should constitute grounds for recusal, is ultimately a matter of subjective interpretation. 'I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be with such an awesome individual. She served as an associate at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2007 to 2010. Kruger graduated from Harvard and received her J.D. The Abrams are daughters of two Methodist ministers from Mississippi and have welcomed Gardner with open arms into their family, who he says are 'extraordinary and remarkable'. Circuit served as a springboard for future justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. She would stand out as the first justice nominated in three decades with experience as a state supreme court justice. Today, Gardner is getting ready to celebrate his fifth anniversary of being released from prison and cleared of all charges.
float:right; Donald Trump Jr. wrote "Nothing shady here", Doug Collins, the outgoing Republican congressman who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2020, said Abrams Gardner should recuse herself from the case because "her own sister is a party!". Sherrilyn Ifill is the head of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and another person who has support from some members of the CBC. .clearfix { State and local courts | 'I then wrote to the Innocence Projects all over the US and even Germany. font-weight: bold; Gardner hopes the coronavirus pandemic will subside enough by the fall that hell get to walk across a stage rather than accept his diploma in a virtual ceremony. She also has an influential backer in Representative Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat whose endorsement of Biden in the 2020 presidential primary helped rescue his flailing campaign. 'I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, I'm not going to say it's OK, being convicted of a crime I didn't commit, but we, as humans go through things for a purpose,' Gardner told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. Zain had died of liver cancer and escaped a custodial sentence for his crimes. } background-color: #f9f9f9; [8] On November 12, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on her nomination. By the fall, he had transferred dozens of hours of credits hed accumulated over the years and was enrolled at Chapman as a senior on a full-ride Presidential Scholarship. Her Supreme Court cases came while she was in the solicitor generals office, where she was named acting principal deputy solicitor general. Out of the 136 cases convicted on Zains testimony, Gardner said he was only the sixth person who successfully challenged his sentence. display: inline-block; }, Chief Judge:Marc Thomas Treadwell background-color: green; She is also a former assistant federal public defender in D.C. and clerked for several jurists including Breyer. Her sister, Stacey, could possibly upset the countrys political spectrum if Georgia voters select her as their governor in the upcoming November elections. margin-top: 1px; She also has experience working at the Supreme Court as a clerk to former Justice John Paul Stevens. Both said that their attacker was lighter than Gardner. On the night of Stacey Abram's victory against Stacey Evans, Gardner and the candidate's younger sister were right by her side in Atlanta. While hes been completing his courses remotely from Georgia due to the pandemic, Gardner hopes to move to Orange County to attend his last semester in person. Jimmie and Leslie Gardner met and were married after his release. Whatever was offered, I took it. Before that she worked as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's . 'We need a fresh beginning. I had a lot of hatred, but knew I had to channel that out of me,' Gardner said. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. It will mean a long distance relationship with his wife for a few months, though he suspects shell visit often. Conservatives would likely focus on her ties to her sister, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2018 and was behind get-out-the-vote efforts that flipped the state blue in 2020. US District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner of Georgia Gardner, 47, a federal district court judge in Georgia, is also among the many potential Supreme Court nominees. Six months later, as university President Daniele Struppa committed to new diversity initiatives aimed at better supporting students of color on campus in the wake of George Floyds death, Gardner was invited to share his experience during a virtual town hall. width: 57%; | He grew up in Tampa, Fl., where he earned good grades and was a standout on his high school baseball team. 'The following Friday, I got the call from my lawyer telling me that my conviction had been vacated and Goodwin had given me an automatic release. During that time, Gardner had been studying the law. 'Then fast forward two years, I'm in Florida and Charleston Police say they want to question me about the crimes in 1987. Jimmie Gardner was released from a West Virginia prison in 2016, 26 years after being wrongly convicted of sexual assault, robbery and unlawful entry related to break-ins that occurred in the 1980s. Court Personnel Leslie Abrams Gardner, U.S. District Judge Staff Information Felicia Rushing, Courtroom Deputy/Scheduling Clerk, felicia_rushing@gamd.uscourts.gov, (229) 431-2510 Chambers of Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner 201 West Broad Avenue Albany, Georgia 31701 Trial Trial: Judge Gardner's Voir Dire Questions - Civil Trials [4][5], On March 11, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Gardner to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, to the seat being vacated by Judge W. Louis Sands, who assumed senior status on April 12, 2014. 'These individuals need hope. Instead of getting offended, Gardner said Leslie Abrams told him, Wow, you could actually be an attorney. She hesitated to tell him her job, he said, fearing his experience with the justice system would put him off. --With assistance from Jordan Rubin and Ellen Gilmer. color: black; Its funny because I was explaining to her how the law worked in my case, Gardner says. font-weight: bold; Gardner, who has not received compensation from West Virginia for the false imprisonment, jumped right into his new life and forged a career as a motivational speaker and an advocate for the wrongly convicted. background-color: #f9f9f9; United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, "Leslie Abrams Gardner, United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia: Profile and Biography", "Stacey Abrams wins Democratic primary in Georgia. The bulk of the registrations that the counties sought to rescind, more than 4,000, were in Muscogee County, which Biden won handily in November. Before becoming a federal judge, Childs was a South Carolina state judge, a commissioner on the state workers compensation commission, and an official in the South Carolina labor department. Thats also how long a judge sentenced an innocent man to serve in prison. font-size: .9em; Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, has been widely considered the early frontrunner for any Supreme Court vacancy under Biden. Leslie Abrams Gardner. From 2010 to 2014, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia. Collins stated a significant falsehood in claiming otherwise. 'She's the perfect person to provide energy for the state of Georgia. Abrams Gardner's reasoning can be examined in the ruling itself. A federal district court judge in Georgia, Leslie Abrams Gardner was appointed to the bench by Obama in 2014. .widget-key { He is also involved in the Innocence Project, an organization that takes on cases in hopes of freeing people who have been wrongly convicted. Some people you think will be uneasy, maybe her parents won't accept me, but they did. .top_disclaimer { | Used with permission. My case lingered throughout the system for 23 years without me getting the opportunity to get a review in court.. Her sister, Stacey, could possibly upset the. 'I've seen 18-year-olds come in and get a hit put on them and get killed. The judge released him April 1, 2016 on a $10,000 bond. Its a great opportunity to have two minds come together and be able to share opinions and just really get to know each other.. ', When he was released from prison,Gardner moved in with his mother, Gladys, upon his release - which he said felt like returning to his teenage years, Gardner, who has not received compensation from West Virginia for the false imprisonment, jumped right into his new life and forged a career as a motivational speaker and an advocate for the wrongly convicted, Gardner is pictured above at the Georgia General Assembly in Atlanta, with state rep Darrel Ealum. She has also been involved in recent efforts to push Facebook Inc. and other social media platforms to do more to combat racism and voter suppression on their sites. He was 49 years old when he returned home and started getting to know his daughter, who was then 31 years old. [6] She received a hearing before the full panel of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 13, 2014. Brooke lives in the Inland Empire with her husband and their much-loved pets. In May 1987, a mother and her daughter were robbed, beaten, and the latter raped at their home in Charleston. [9] On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 the Senate confirmed her nomination by a 1000 vote. Black Women Had Some Major Firsts In Last Week's Midterm Elections, Black Musicians Are Not A Monolith: An Interview with Bartees Strange, Stacey Abrams: Here's How Voter Suppression Can Occur. The pair got married in November 2018, and he said, Its just been wonderful ever since. [7], President Joe Biden (D) did not announce a list of nominees he was considering. display: block; Childs would bring a different set of experiences to the Supreme Court as a non-Ivy League law school graduate -- she graduated from the University of South Carolina -- and a former South Carolina labor official. Just because the courts arent hearing me, Im not going to stop.. Three years into his sentence, other agencies started questioning the reliability of Fred Zains DNA evidence. Elections in 2023 | Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner; Judge Clay D. Land; Judge Tilman E. (Tripp) Self; Sr. Judge Hugh Lawson; Sr. Judge W. Louis Sands; Sr. Judge C. Ashley Royal; Mag Judge M. Stephen Hyles; Mag Judge Thomas Q. Langstaff; Mag Judge Charles H. Weigle; For Attorneys. Many felt it was inappropriate for Gardner to rule on the case, a concern that was She also occasionally teaches community college and writes nonfiction, with her co-authored book Stealing from the Worlds Best Schools available now wherever books are sold. Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP. Growing up in Tampa Bay, Florida, Gardner was a natural at sport, from football to basketball, but it was baseball that was destined to be his future - until he was wrongly convicted, In May 1987, a mother and her daughter were robbed, beaten, and the latter raped at their home in Charleston. Apply today! Web shopping giant PAUSES construction at huge new HQ2 near DC as bosses continue with deepest ever job cuts, Scientists urge pregnant women to avoid using plastic bottles after study finds microplastics can enter the FOETUS, 'F***ing amateur hour': Democrats fume at Biden for siding with Republicans on DC crime bill - as AOC says he should push harder for capital to become its own state. And the 54-year-old is on track to earn his bachelors degree with honors this fall from Chapman University. Leslie Abrams Gardner The sister of voting rights activist and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is 47 years old and currently presides over a federal court in Atlanta, having been nominated by President Obama in 2014. Laura Barrn-Lpez contributed to this report. [1], On January 27, 2022, United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer officially announced he would retire at the start of the court's summer recess, which typically took place in late June or early July. In late December Biden nominated Childs for a spot on the D.C. The D.C. 'Rough situations - guys getting killed on the softball field, in the yard, in cells on lock down, getting stabbed or beaten to death. Circuit. Clay LandTilman E. Self IIILeslie Abrams Gardner, Hugh LawsonWillie SandsAshley Royal, Duross FitzpatrickWilbur OwensBascom Sine DeaverWilliam Josiah TilsonWilliam BootleAbraham CongerThomas Davis (Georgia)James Robert Elliott, Hugh LawsonDuross FitzpatrickWilbur OwensWillie SandsClay LandWilliam BootleThomas Davis (Georgia)James Robert Elliott, What's on my ballot? He was given an hour a day for recreation or education, during which he studied law and found an unlikely teacher in fellow inmate Marcus Cochran. That court is regarded as the second-most influential federal court, behind only the Supreme Court. Here are some of the people whose names have been discussed as prime candidates for an open Supreme Court seat. But Ive had a pleasant experience and I look forward to attracting more individuals that look like me to come to Chapman.. Learn more about a Bloomberg Law subscription. While the polls in Georgia officially closed at 7 p.m., the window of opportunity for Stacey. She graduated from Brown University and Yale Law School and, as a private attorney, represented big corporations including Alphabet Inc.s Google and Bank of America Corp. 'I was stuck for 23 years in state court. vertical-align: top; We are no longer accepting comments on this article. font-weight: bold; color: black; If that happens, Bidens pick would be the third Black justice and the sixth woman in the courts history of more than 230 years. I wanted to keep busy. [3], Gardner earned her B.A. Jackson, 51, is a rising star in Washington legal circles, she is a former Breyer clerk and a federal appeals court judge who was in the middle of politically charged disputes during the Donald Trump era. Justice Stephen Breyers retirement announcement gives President Joe Biden the chance to fulfill his campaign promise to put the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Ifill has also been a frequent presence on cable news and in op-ed pages, particularly on issues surrounding voting rights and the crimin system. That's how I live my life. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played for a West Virginia farm team, the Charleston Wheelers, in the Minor League. The Abrams aren't the only high-profile names Gardner has mingled with since his release - he has also connected with John Lewis, Gardner works at the Innocence Project alongside Amanda Knox, who attended an exoneree event in April 2018 (pictured above), Exonerated prisoners from around the world gathered for a march (pictured above) in April. 'I was the only male there, I went with a friend who asked me to mingle,' Gardner said. Brooke joined the Orange County Register in January 2013, covering local communities, cannabis and politics before starting on the environment beat for SCNG in July 2022. I dont want to discount anyone elses experience, he said. Before being appointed to the bench, Jackson worked as an attorney at the firm Morrison & Foerster with an emphasis on appellate litigation. } color: white; Gardner was one of eight kids born in Georgia to a dad who built houses and a mom who worked for a sewing thread manufacturer. font-weight: bold; Now I want to bring awareness and keep individuals informed on how you should react in these situations and how you survive to see another day.. All of those other 100-plus cases, theyve either died off or been brushed under the rug, he said. He's still a friend today. A century and a decade. He was questioned, fingerprinted and released. Police interviewed all of the black players on the Charleston Wheelers, including Gardner, as part of their investigation. Jackson, who grew up in Miami, graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School and clerked for two lower court judges before working for Breyer during the Supreme Courts 1999-2000 term. 'Leslie is brilliant, and that's an understatement,' said Gardner, who added that professionally and at home, everyone has accepted his and Leslie's relationship. Kruger has written a decision that overturned a precedent and required a warrant for vehicle searches. Jimmy is pictured above with his Great Aunt Alberta Le Mar, who helped raise him, but sadly passed away while he was still in prison. I never gave up, Gardner said. I have a pretty unrelenting view of justice, she said in a 2013 interview with NYU Law Magazine. An additional 150 were from Ben Hill County, which Trump won by a wide margin. She was one of six children. Police believed the two crimes were linked, so they questioned more than 100 tall black men in the area. Leslie, 43, is the sister of Stacey Abrams, 44, who became the first black female gubernatorial nominee ever in the United States when she won the Democratic primary in Georgia on Tuesday and is hoping to make history in November at the midterm elections. State executives | Turner was one of those targeted voters. Her freetime is filled with traveling, hiking, reading, crafting and scheming about new ways to make the world a more informed, just and joyful place. } I was the only male there. The legal wranglings were complex but the gist was simple: While he didnt actually look like the suspect, he fit the vague description of a tall black male. In December 2020, right-leaning observers and prominent Republican politicians cried foul after a federal court judge blocked attempts to remove thousands of names from voter rolls in Georgia, ahead of January's two U.S. Senate run-off elections in the state. Gardner was 20 years old, pitching for the Charleston Wheelers in West Virginia in 1987. 'We got together, it clicked, we know that God brought us together for a purpose. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president certainly stands by his campaign commitment. width: 250px; He added: 'I learned the law through Marcus Cochran, he taught me how to review cases, he was a member of the brotherhood. Although the White House has been tight-lipped about its short list, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger are the consensus front-runners among Bidens progressive allies. width: 43%; Childs, 55, may have been considered a long shot given that no federal district judge has been directly elevated to the Supreme Court since 1923. 'The state still tried to get me to plead guilty, I said no way, I'd rather go back to prison, but I knew it was over, even though it took five months. [7] On June 19, 2014, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. Even though Gardners defense team was not allowed to view the lab results showing that the person who committed the rapes had a different blood type from Gardners, and even though the states stance was that the same person had committed both rapes, he was acquitted of the charges related to Ruckman (pdf) but convicted of rape (of Galati), assault (of Ferrell), battery, robbery and burglary because Zain said that Gardner was one of the few people on the planet who matched the DNA. A federal district court judge in Georgia, Leslie Abrams Gardner was appointed to the bench by Obama in 2014. But the Abrams aren't the only high-profile names Gardner has mingled with since his release - through his work he's also met Amanda Knox and John Lewis. Gardner was mentioned by two or more media outlets as a possible nominee to fill Breyer's seat on the court. Two months later, another woman was sexually assaulted. 'I give fingerprints again, pubic hairs, saliva, blood samples, I mean, what have I got to hide? He was acknowledged at the assembly in February 2018 and received a house resolution commending him. There are comparatively few Black women in the highest reaches of the federal judiciary, though Biden has been active in bolstering those numbers as part of a broader emphasis on diversifying the courts, both in terms of demographics and professional background. margin-bottom: 0; He said: 'When I went in in the late eighties, there were skinheads, the Ayran Brotherhood, biker gangs, there were different hits on people, lots of murders, that was the norm. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court."[8].
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