William Spade

William Spade (born September 12, 1962) is an American criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for defending individuals in highly-publicized federal and state criminal prosecutions. His clients have included Corey Kemp, the former Treasurer of the City of Philadelphia, [Einhorn, Erin (2005-03-05). Kemp's Lawyer Bugs FBI Agent, Philadelphia Daily News] who was prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice for honest services fraud, Julius Murray, a private social worker, currently facing involuntary manslaughter charges in the alleged starvation and neglect death of 11-year-old Danieal Kelly, [Sullivan, John & McCoy, Craig R.(2008-08-01). Nine Indicted in Fatal Neglect of Girl, Philadelphia Inquirer] and Kevin Felder, who was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of five-year-old Casha'e Rivers, but ultimately cleared. [Dale, Maryclaire (2007-05-23). Prosecutors: Wrong Suspect Behind Bars in Shooting of 5-year-old, The Associated Press]

Background

Spade was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He graduated from Northeast High School in Oakland Park, Florida, in 1980, received his bachelor's degree from Brandeis University in 1984 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Chicago Law School in 1990. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1990, and practiced for four years at the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads. He clerked for the Honorable Eduardo C. Robreno of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 1994-95, before working for ten years as a prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. In 2004, Spade opened his criminal defense practice. [www.martindale.com/William-R-Spade/1538244-lawyer.htm]

Grand Jury Investigation Into The Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Spade was a lead prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's grand jury investigation into the sexual abuse of minors by priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His role included cross-examining Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and other high Diocesan officials regarding their decisions to re-assign priests who had sexually abused children to new parishes without warning parents of the priests' crimes. During the two years he worked on the investigation, Spade interviewed hundreds of victims of sexual abuse. "It was like working in a factory. And in this factory was a conveyor belt of damaged people. Every day was another damaged person." [Newall, Mike (2006-04-28). Shining Light on a Cover-Up: A Priest and A Prosecutor Detail How It Happened, National Catholic Reporter] Exhausted, emotionally drained, and frustrated by the refusal of his superiors to indict members of the Church hierarchy, Spade resigned his position in the Fall of 2004, a year before the investigation concluded, and opened a criminal defense practice. [Newall, Mike (2005-10-13). Arch Nemesis, A Former ADA Offers Insight Into the Clergy Abuse Probe, Philadelphia City Paper]

Notable Cases

United States v. Joseph Moderski

Spade represented Joseph C. Moderski, a business consultant, who because of his political connections, was known as the go-to guy for companies looking to do business with the City of Philadelphia. [Anastasia, George & Shiffman, John (2006-02-08). Now Indicted, He's Been the Go-To Guy: Joe Moderski, a Consultant for Businesses, is Charged in an Airport Fraud Scheme, Philadelphia Inquirer] Moderski was prosecuted in federal court for his part in an influence-peddling scheme related to contracts at Philadelphia International Airport. [www.usdoj.gov/usao/pae/News/Pr/2007/jan/moderski.html] He pled guilty and received a sentence of 14 months imprisonment. [Hinkelman, Michael (2007-04-03). 2 Bizmen Sentenced in Pay-to Play Cases, Philadelphia Daily News]

United States v. Joseph Logue

Spade represented Joseph Logue, a former Philadelphia police officer, who was charged with mail fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud members of the posh Whitemarsh Valley Country Club out of $2 million. Logue pled guilty and at sentencing Spade put forward extensive evidence that Logue, a decorated Vietnam Marine helicopter tailgunner, suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which caused an uncontrollable compulsion to engage in highly risky behavior such as the fraud scheme. Logue was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, which was significantly below the Guidelines range sentence he faced at the beginning of the case. [Anastasia, George (2008-01-09). Former Philadelphia Officer Sentenced in Fraud, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Scholarly Writing

Spade was an early advocate for the abolition of the so-called "100:1 ratio" which punished criminal defendants convicted of crack cocaine offenses much more harshly than those convicted of powder cocaine offenses. The disparate treatment effected by this law was particularly egregious because the result was to punish African-American defendants more harshly than white defendants. [Spade, William (Winter, 1996). Beyond the 100:1 Ratio: Towards a Rational Cocaine Sentencing Policy, Arizona Law Review] Eleven years later, Spade was proven correct when the United States Supreme Court held that federal courts were not constrained to impose the 100:1 ratio when sentencing defendants in crack cocaine cases if they found that the sentence was greater than necessary to achieve the purposes of sentencing. [Kimbrough v. United States, 128 S. Ct. 558 (2007)]

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