2024 Prison Poetry Contest Winner Announced
Published on July 31, 2024Spolin & Dukes P.C. is proud to announce the winner of the 2024 Prison Poetry Contest: Adam Ochoa, CDCR #BU5543, located at California State Prison, Los Angeles County.
His poem, “The life raft within,” captivated many of the contest judges, which included ten members of the Spolin & Dukes law firm and three former clients of the firm.
The judges included former client D.T., former client J.V., and former client M.H., appellate attorneys Aaron Spolin and Caitlin Dukes, and other Spolin & Dukes employees. The former client judges heard many of the poems read out loud at an in-person meeting at the firm’s headquarters on July 30th, 2024. Photos of the judging will be uploaded shortly.
Besides the winning entry, former client M.H.’s favorite entry was “No Limit with God,” by Samuel Robertson, TDCJ #2407810, located at Diboll Correctional Center in Diboll, Texas. “No Limit with God” discusses Mr. Robinson’s absolute faith in God and how his physical confinement cannot sever his bond with his creator.
Former client D.T.’s favorite entry was “Throwing Rocks at the Pen,” written by Brandon Shannon, TDCJ #2444595, located the Smith Unit in Lamesa, Texas. Mr. Shannon’s poem discusses the fruitless pursuit of status and glamor that leads many young men to prison.
Former client J.V. and a plurality of the law firm employees voted the for the winning entry: “The life raft within.” His winning poem is copied below in full:
Spolin & Dukes Client Freed; Walks Dog For First Time in 18 Years.
Published on July 12, 2024(Photo caption: Cell phone photo of Spolin & Dukes client A.V. jubilantly walking a dog for the first time in 18 years.)
Spolin & Dukes attorneys are ecstatic to announce the successful release of a client who was wrongfully convicted of murder 18 years ago. The client had been in custody since 2006, and the Spolin & Dukes attorneys, particularly Caitlin Dukes and Erica Esquivel, have been representing him in various post-conviction courts for the last four years.
On June 11th he was finally released, and he sent a short video to his Spolin & Dukes attorneys showing him walking his dog near the Santa Monica boardwalk.
The firm is preparing a more detailed account of the client’s saga and legal battles, which will be published on the firm’s website soon. In the meantime, you can read this media article about the client’s case that was published shortly before he won his case and was released. The well-researched and well-written article, by Mercedes Kane, can also be viewed at the Capital & Main website here.