Photo courtesy of Kramon & Graham

CUA Law alumnus, James P. Ulwick '77, recently accepted the prestigious John Adams Award on behalf of 84 members of the Criminal Justice Act Panel. The award is presented each year by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to an attorney or attorneys on the elite panel who best exemplify the qualities exhibited by former President John Adams in representing indigent clients.

Ulwick was presented with the award on behalf of all CJA panel members who were involved in defending the individuals indicted in the Eastern Correctional Institution prison case, the largest prison corruption case in Maryland history. More than 80 defendants were indicted for their alleged roles in an extensive network of contraband smuggling and trafficking. The case involved the largest number of individuals ever indicted in a single case in the District of Maryland and placed a significant burden on the court and its ability to ensure fair representation.

Supported by Kramon & Graham defense attorney William J. Harrington, Ulwick represented a former ECI correctional officer who was charged with smuggling drugs and other contraband into the prison. Following a three-week trial, a jury acquitted the client of racketeering, bribery, and narcotics distribution charges. Of the 80 defendants named in the indictments, only the firm's client and one other defendant were acquitted. Charges were eventually dropped against another defendant.