Suzanne Elliott : Bio
Memberships:
- Washington State Bar Association
- United States Supreme Court Bar
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Eastern and Western District of Washington Bar
- Alaska District Federal Bar.
Awards/Honors:
- Martindale-Hubbell AV rating
- AVVO Rating 10.0/10 Superb [view profile]
- Certified as “learned in the law of capital punishment” by the Washington State Supreme Court Capital Qualifications Committee for over 5 years.
- 2005, President’s Award, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- 2004 King County Bar Association Outstanding Lawyer Award (as part of the Gary Ridgeway Defense Team).
- Seattle Metropolitan Magazine: Top Lawyer, July 2010
Education
- University of Puget Sound School of Law, Tacoma, WA
J.D. 1982, Managing Editor, Law Review, 1981-82 - Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
B.A. Political Science, 1979
Experience
LAW OFFICE OF SUZANNE LEE ELLIOTT
Practice focused on state and federal criminal defense with significant emphasis on appeal and post-conviction proceedings. Recent cases include:
- Uttecht v. Brown, 551 U.S. 1 (2007)(5-4 decision affirming conviction in capital case)
- State v. Gregory,158 Wash.2d 759, 147 P.3d 1201 (2006)(death sentence reversed)
- In Re Lavery, 154 Wash. 2nd 249, 111 P.3rd 837 (2005)(reversing “three strikes” sentence)
- Benn v. Lambert, 283 F. 3rd 1040(9th Cir. 2002)(reversing death penalty)
- State v. Clark, 143 Wash. 2nd 731, 24 P. 3rd 1006 (2001)(reversing death penalty)
- State v. Cronin, 142 Wn.2d 568; 14 P.3d 752 (2000) (Criminal complicity liability statute in aggravated murder case required that appellants know that their conduct was facilitating the crimes for which they were eventually charged, assault and murder, rather than that they were merely facilitating a general crime.
- State v. Flieger, 91 Wn. App. 236, 955 P.2d 872 (1998)(reversing defendant’s conviction for second degree murder)
Currently co-counsel in Woods v. Uttecht, a capital habeas pending in the Eastern District of Washington, and USA v. Wade, a capital trial case pending in the district of Alaska.
WASHINGTON APPELLATE DEFENDER ASSOCIATION
1990 to 1995
Director, nonprofit corporation devoted to representing indigent criminal appellants in the Court of Appeals, Division I and the Washington State Supreme Court.
ASSOCIATED COUNSEL FOR THE ACCUSED
July, 1985 to June, 1990
Staff Attorney responsible for representing indigent criminal defendants in the trial courts of the State of Washington. Represented clients in the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, Seattle Municipal Court, Juvenile Court and the King County Superior Court. Drafted all pleadings necessary for trial including pretrial motions, trial briefs and jury instructions. Was assigned for a considerable period of time to writing RALJ appeals.
WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT
May, 1983 to July, 1985
Staff Attorney assigned to the Court Commissioner's office. Reviewed petitions for review and motions for discretionary review. Prepared bench memos for the Court's departmental conferences to advise the Court as to whether or not the petition or motion met the criteria for review.
Professional Organizations
- Washington State Bar Association, Pattern Jury Instructions Committee
- Cooperating Attorney Innocence Project Northwest
- Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Co-Chair Amicus Committee, 2000 to present
Publications and CLE Presentations
- 2009 Speaker, Criminal Law Boot Camp, May, 1, 2009, Making the Record For Appeal
- 2008 Speaker, Washington State Appellate Judges, Spring Conference
- 2007 Speaker, Crimes of Violence, Defense with a Passion
- 2005 Speaker, Thrills and Skills, Spokane, Washington
- 2005 Speaker, Dealing with Drugs: Defending Drug Cases in the 21st Century
- 2001 Author, Evidence: The “Common Scheme or Plan Problem” Vol. 15, No. 4 Washington Criminal Defense Magazine
- 2000 Presenter, Innocence Found: Wenatchee and Beyond, April 14, 2000, Washington Law School Foundation
- 1998 Contributing Author, Washington Appellate Practice Handbook, Supplement
- 1997 Speaker, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Cutting Issues in Criminal Law
- 1995 Editor, Defense of a Drug Case, 2nd Ed., Published by the Washington Defender Association
- 1995 Moderator and Speaker, Appellate Practice for the Trial Attorney
- 1994 Moderator, Washington Criminal Justice Institute, I-593 Panel
- 1994 Editor, Washington State Criminal Forms, Published by the Washington Defender Association
- 1993 Editor, Defense of a Drug Case, Published by the Washington Defender Association
- 1993 Speaker, SKCBA CLE, Appellate Practice, “Oral Argument»
- 1993 Speaker, Defender Annual Conference, “Caseload Control”
- 1992 Speaker, WSBA Criminal Law Section Annual CLE, “Significant Evidentiary Cases in 1992”
- 1992 Speaker, WSBA Bar Convention, “Recent Developments in SRA Sentencing”
- 1989 Speaker, Defender Annual Conference, “New Challenges to Charging Documents”