06/20/2023
"My job as an attorney is very difficult a lot of the time. It is stressful and can often be thankless; however, I decided to become a lawyer so I could help people who cannot help themselves. I have always wanted to be a criminal defense attorney and continue to love criminal defense. Last Friday was the single most fulfilling and rewarding day of my career. I represented a woman who was incarcerated in the Wyoming Women's Center for six years. I was hired by her family to assist her with a medical parole petition. She was diagnosed with cancer and had a very difficult treatment plan. Her surgeries were invasive and her doctors suggested she be released. I had never done a medical parole petition before, but this family trusted me to help her. Unfortunately, we did not get the outcome that we wanted. To say we all were devastated is an understatement.
About a year ago, I got a call from her while she was still incarcerated. She asked me to help her with a commutation with the governor. Again, this was something I had never done before, but she trusted me to try again. It was a long process and we didn't have much hope. But in April 2023, we got news that Governor Gordon had commuted her sentence to "time served." We were ecstatic. However, our joy was short lived as she was immediately transfered into federal custody to serve the rest of a short sentence for a supervised release violation. Due to her outstanding medical conditions, we also filed a Motion for Compassionate Release. Last Friday, that motion was granted. Her daughters went to pick her up and hug and hold their mother for the first time in a very long time. It was a good day. It was the best day." -Joanne S. Zook
