Paul, Weiss is committed to providing impactful pro bono legal assistance to individuals and organizations in need. Our program is all-encompassing, spanning the core issues facing our society.
Paul, Weiss Secures Immediate Release for Pro Bono Client Due to COVID-19 Concerns
- Client News
- April 29, 2020
Paul, Weiss secured the immediate release from incarceration and deportation of our pro bono client to her native country of Ukraine following an emergency motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Our client had previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, and U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan indicated that he would impose a sentence of 27 months, which would have incarcerated our client until November 2020. As conditions in the D.C. jails began to deteriorate, and the number of COVID-19 cases among inmates rose exponentially, we filed an emergency motion requesting that our client be sentenced to time served and that she be immediately released to return to Ukraine, given that she had agreed to leave the country as part of her plea agreement. The Paul, Weiss team worked through significant logistical challenges to secure our client’s international travel, and she has now safely returned home.
The Paul, Weiss team included, among others, litigation associate Melissa Alpert, who argued the sentencing hearing and litigation associates Jessica Morton and Paul Brachman.