Professor Brent E. Newton prevails in a third federal death penalty case

CARLISLE, PA—In Professor Brent E. Newton’s third court-appointed federal death penalty case since June 2025, another federal district court has granted his motion to strike the federal government's notice of its intent to seek the death penalty against a federal capital defendant. A copy of the court's order is available by clicking here.

Last year, federal courts in two other death penalty cases (in the District of Maryland and the Northern District of West Virginia) granted similar motions filed by Newton. All three motions challenged the current Justice Department's attempt to reverse former Attorney General Merrick Garland's decisions not to seek the death penalty. Newton's most recent case is in the Eastern District of Virginia.

In 2009, Practitioner in Residence Brent E. Newton was appointed as deputy director of the United States Sentencing Commission, a position he held until January 2019. Professor Newton also practices civil, criminal, and immigration law in Maryland and Texas. In addition, he has been a lecturer, adjunct professor, or visiting professor at several other law schools, including American and Georgetown Universities, the University of Houston Law Center, and Seoul National University in South Korea. Professor Newton has been an elected member of the American Law Institute since 2010.