LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Appeals attorney and former prosecutor Caitlin Dukes has been promoted to the position of partner at Spolin & Dukes, P.C., formerly Spolin Law P.C.
She has a track record of winning difficult cases, including the twenty representative cases and rulings that are listed at the end of this press release. Her wins include overturning multiple murder convictions, winning contested court hearings, vacating lower court decisions, and—in one case—securing the immediate ordered release of an innocent client convicted of murder who had been fighting his case for 15 years.
Ms. Dukes, along with one other attorney, Jeremy Cutcher, won the firm’s Legal Service Award in 2022 for displaying exceptional care and consideration and for going above and beyond in their duties. Ms. Dukes was also selected by Super Lawyers® for the prestigious 2023 Rising Star award.
“A lawyer’s role goes beyond fighting the case,” noted attorney Aaron Spolin, another partner at the firm. “Caitlin has shown incredible compassion for our clients, demystifying the process and helping clients’ families understand her strategies and the tactical steps that she wants to take on a given case.”
Ms. Tran is the wife of a former client; Ms. Dukes overturned Ms. Tran’s husband’s murder conviction in 2020. “I was so glad to have Caitlin in court,” Ms. Tran said. “The prosecutor was trying to say my husband should stay in prison for life because he was some reckless killer, but Caitlin wouldn’t stand for any of that. She is a no-nonsense type of person. I owe Caitlin and Aaron a lot for winning the case.”
Ms. Dukes responded to the promotion with grace and a clear eagerness to continue her hard work.
“Everyone deserves a fighter. Everyone deserves compassion. When I first talk on the phone with my clients, I hear the sadness in their voices,” Ms. Dukes observed. “Many of them feel like a bug that’s been stepped on by our monstrous criminal justice system. My job is to lift them up. Some cases we win and some we lose, but I demand that my clients be taken seriously.”
Below is a partial list of cases in which Ms. Dukes has helped the firm achieve favorable outcomes, including ones where murder convictions were overturned, resulting in the clients’ release. It should be noted that prior success does not guarantee future success.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Petition, Murder
- 1/28/2020, People v. R.H.: After a written submission and an oral argument that Ms. Dukes handled, the superior court overturned the murder conviction and ordered that the client be released from custody immediately.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Direct Appeal, Murder
- 4/22/2020, People v. A.V.: The appellate court remanded the case back to trial court with instructions to conduct further proceedings.
- Win: Dismissal of Charges, Murder
- 2/1/2021, People v. J.W.: The superior court dismissed the client’s murder charges and ordered that he be released from custody immediately. The case was directly impacted by Los Angeles DA George Gascon’s Special Directives.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Direct Appeal, Murder
- 4/13/2021, People v. W.S.: The appellate court reversed the trial court’s order denying the petition for resentencing and remanded the case to the trial court to issue an order to show cause.
- Win: Petition for Review, Attempted Murder
- 12/15/2021, People v. P.B.: The Supreme Court of California granted the petition for review, and the case was transferred back to the Court of Appeal, with instructions to vacate its prior decision.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Major Felony
- 7/15/2022, People v. E.L.: The appellate court reversed the judgment and remanded the case back to trial court for resentencing on a minor issue.
- Win: Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Carjacking
- 7/21/2022, People v. M. H.: The client was ultimately released from prison after the filing of several petitions for writ of habeas corpus and a motion regarding the re-calculation of his good time credits.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Murder
- 9/20/2022, People v. N.S.: After Ms. Dukes’ successful oral argument, the appellate court reversed the trial court’s order, and the case was remanded back to the trial court with directions to issue an order to show cause and hold a hearing.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Petition, Murder
- 10/2/2022, People v. A.V.: The superior court granted the petition for resentencing, and the client was released after spending more than three decades in custody for a murder he did not intentionally commit.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Murder
- 10/17/2022, People v. M.H.: The appellate court reversed the trial court’s order, and the case was remanded back to the trial court for a new hearing.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Voluntary Manslaughter
- 12/16/2022, People v. D.K.: The appellate court reversed the trial court’s order, and the case was remanded back to the trial court, where the client’s voluntary manslaughter conviction was vacated, he was resentenced to felony assault, and he was released from custody. Ms. Dukes was able to convince the prosecutor to agree to the client’s release based on the strength of the firm’s written submissions.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Direct Appeal, Felony Murder
- 1/18/2023, People v. D.T.: The appellate court issued an order reversing the order denying the petition for resentencing and remanding the case to the trial court to appoint counsel, issue an order to show cause, and conduct an evidentiary hearing.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Attempted Manslaughter
- 2/1/2023, People v. J.F.: The appellate court issued an order vacating the gang enhancement allegation under P.C.186.22, and the gang enhancements were remanded to the trial court for retrial, should the People so decide.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Petition, Voluntary Manslaughter
- 2/23/2023, People v. D.T.: The superior court granted the petition for resentencing and a stipulation for release was entered, in which Ms. Dukes appeared on the client’s behalf and secured his release. The client was released after in March 2023, after spending more than 19 years in custody for a murder he did not intentionally commit.
- Win: Supreme Court Writ, Attempted Murder
- 3/15/2023, People v. C.J.: The Supreme Court of California issued an order to show cause returnable before the LA County Superior Court, as to why relief should not be granted on the grounds that the client has presented newly discovered evidence.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Direct Appeal, Attempted Murder
- 3/20/2023, People v. I.C.: After briefing and oral argument, which was handled by Ms. Dukes, the appellate court issued an order vacating the client’s sentence and remanding the case to the trial court solely for resentencing consistent with the court’s opinion under current law, including P.C. 654 as amended by Assembly Bill No. 518.
- Win: P.C. 1170.95 Direct Appeal, Attempted Murder
- 4/7/2023, People v. C.B.: The appellate court issued an opinion reversing the trial court’s order that summarily denied the client’s petition for resentencing. The case was remanded to the trial court to appoint counsel, issue an order to show cause, and conduct an evidentiary hearing consistent with the provisions of P.C. 1172.6.
- Win: Direct Appeal, Murder
- 5/8/2023, People v. D.K.: The appellate court vacated the trial court’s sentence, dismissed the gang enhancements pursuant to AB 333, and remanded the case for resentencing.
- Win: Franklin Hearing Appeal, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery
- 5/10/2023, People v. F.B.: The appellate court issued an opinion reversing the superior court’s order that denied the request for a Franklin hearing due to the Three Strikes Law.
Caitlin Dukes and the firm’s case managers can be reached at (310) 494-2724.