Emily J. Tidmore was appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to represent a federal inmate in his appeal of a denial of a motion to reduce sentence under section 404 of the First Step Act. After briefing on behalf of the inmate was filed, the government conceded that the inmate was eligible to be considered for a reduced sentence under the First Step Act in light of United States v. Jones, 962 F.3d 1290 (11th Cir. 2020), which was issued after the district court entered its order. The Eleventh Circuit vacated the district court’s order in full, and remanded the case for further proceedings under the First Step Act and Jones.
William T. Paulk and Joshua K. Payne were appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to represent a state inmate in a civil action against prison officials for alleged use of excessive force during a search for contraband at the prison. The inmate alleged he was assaulted by officers without justification. The defendants denied liability. After discovery, including depositions of each of the defendants, the parties engaged in court-ordered mediation. The parties resolved the litigation through a settlement agreement that provided for payment to the inmate in exchange for a release of claims.
“We are proud of the dedicated representation provided to these individuals by Emily, William, and Josh,” said senior partner Robert K. Spotswood. “It is an honor for our lawyers to be appointed by the court to represent those who cannot afford to be represented. The firm is committed to the legal profession’s tradition of pro bono service, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue that tradition.”
Founded in 2001, Spotswood Sansom & Sansbury LLC is a boutique litigation firm in Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in complex business litigation. The firm has been involved in virtually every high-profile, complex litigation matter in Alabama in the past two decades. It is one of the few firms in America recognized, on the defense side, as a Go-To Law Firm by Corporate Counsel Magazine and, on the plaintiffs’ side, as having obtained one of the Top 50 Jury Verdicts by the National Law Journal. The firm has been recognized by Chambers & Partners, Benchmark Litigation, and U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms.” Its lawyers have been rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, listed among the Best Lawyers in America, and rated by Super Lawyers.
