This section contains information about our leadership and TACDL award winners.

The Death Penalty Award

For outstanding work in the anti-death penalty arena

The Death Penalty Award for outstanding work in the anti-death penalty area

1992  William P. Redick and Henry A. Martin (Years of dedicated capital case work)

1993  The Capital Case Resource Center (Staff)

1994  Gary L. Anderson (Work from the University of Tennessee Law Clinic)

1995  Isaiah “Skip” Gant (Taco Bell murder defendants)

1996  Paul J. Morrow, Jr. (Zealous advocacy in the death penalty area)

1997  John G. Oliva (Years of committed anti-death penalty work)

1998  Bradley A. MacLean (Continuing work on Abu Ali Abdur’ Rahman’s case as a civil attorney)

1999 Donald E. Dawson (Work as the TN Post-Conviction Defender)

2000 Mary Ann Green (Relentless work on Harold Nichols’ case)

2001 William D. Massey and Lorna S. McClusky (Repeated successful representations of citizens charged with capital crimes in Memphis)

2002 Brock Mehler

2003 Kelly Gleason (Determination, ability, and talent to educate and prepare us for the Fight for Life)

2004 Gerald D. Skahan (27 death penalty cases in 7 years without one having been lost to a death verdict)

2005 James A. Simmons (Extraordinary work in the anti-death penalty arena)

2006 Ronald L. Lax (Extraordinary work in the arena of capital defense investigations)

2007  Michael J. Passino (For years of extraordinary commitment & relentless diligence)

2008  Karla G. Gothard (A tenacious courtroom advocate, teacher, and mentor in the battle against the death penalty in Tennessee)

2009

2010

2011  Bass, Berry, & Sims (for work in two capital cases – Detrick Cole and EJ Harbison)

2012  Federal Public Defenders Offices in Nashville and Knoxville