At the December 2004 board meeting, the Board of Directors of WACDL voted to award the Martin Hanson Prize to the following criminal defense attorneys:

1. Michael Jackelen, Brookfield, for State v. Curry, 02-CF-384, Dodge County. Charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle. Jury acquittal by reason of mental disease (disassociative state, post traumatic stress syndrome/blackout).
2. Christopher T. Van Wagner, Madison, for State v. Salm, 02-CF-106, Marquette County. Charged with two counts of negligent homicide operation of vehicle and two counts of hit and run homicide. Jury verdict for acquittal.
3. Christopher T. Van Wagner, Madison, for State v. Northam, 00-CF-101, Marquette County. Charged with delivery of oxycontin causing death. Motion to dismiss granted.
4. Leonard G. Adent, Waukesha, for State v. Riegel, 94-CF-387, Waukesha County. Charged with 1st degree intentional homicide. Jury verdict of not guilty.
5. Alex Flynn, Milwaukee, for State v. Hoepner, 97-CF-401, Washington County. Charged with party to the crime of first degree intentional homicide. Jury verdict of not guilty.
6. Deja Vishny, Milwaukee, for State vs. Rudolph, 03-CF-4694, Milwaukee County. Charged with intentional first degree homicide. Jury verdict of not guilty.

The Advocate’s Prize is awarded to those practitioners who have accomplished the rare and difficult task of winning a criminal homicide case. The reason for making the award is to give some recognition to the good work being done by members of the criminal defense bar in representing their clients. We are confident that most attorneys defending these serious charges do a good job regardless of the outcome, but we know that every attorney who secures an acquittal has done an outstanding job.

This prize is named for Martin Hanson, and that is meant as a compliment to the recipient. Martin Hanson was one of the finest criminal law advocates of his generation, and was a founding director of the Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Association.

The Hanson is automatic for acquittal on any criminal homicide, and that in certain cases dismissals short of trial will be awarded based upon an evaluation of the merits by the directors from the district in which the dismissal was obtained. The Hanson is retroactive to Martin’s date of death in September of 1995.

The only way we have to learn of attorney eligible for the Martin Hanson Prize is for WACDL members across the state to nominate eligible recipients. Self-nominations are accepted.

Recent recipients include Robert Peterson (2005); Krista Ralston (2006); ann Munninghoff (2007); and Terry Rose (2008).

Dave Niblack was Wisconsin's State Public Defender from 1979 until 1983. He died unexpectedly in the Fall of 2000, but will always be remembered by those for whom he advocated, and those he taught or befriended. He was a good friend to anyone committed to the protection of rights for the least popular among us. When our clients had no one to stand with them, Dave stood with them. He delighted in teaching young attorneys the way, and sure knew how to tell a story. Under his leadership, the SPD as we know it today survived in a period of daily attack and controversy.

To honor Dave Niblack's memory, and to encourage others to follow in his footsteps, in 2001 the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) established the David C. Niblack Award, to be given every December at the WACDL Ethics seminar in Madison, at which Dave taught.

The purposes of this award:

1. To recognize the contributions of an attorney to the effective defense of the indigent, either cumulative career contributions or outstanding accomplishments.
2. To honor and preserve the memory of an outstanding attorney who devoted his life and considerable talents to the defense of those who needed it but could not pay for it.

Criteria: Pride and professionalism in the work; competence in provision of services; respect for the clients.

Coffey Defender Award information coming soon.