Carla Martin
Encyclopedia
Carla J. Martin is an American
lawyer.
at American University
in Washington D.C. in 1989
Martin was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1990. She began working at the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) during law school.
Martin's case, Public Citizen, Aviation Consumer Action Project, and Families of Pan Am 103 v. FAA, 988 F.2d 186 (D.C.Cir. 1993) is one of the seminal federal cases cited for FOIA Exemption 3, and for the protection and non-disclosure of sensitive security information
(SSI). Martin was also responsible, as FAA counsel, for the Pan Am Flight 103
/Lockerbie bombing case for several years, both the civil litigation trial in 1992 against Pan American World Airways in New York, as well as the criminal prosecution of the Lockerbie bomber defendants Megrahi and Fhimah in the Scottish court at Zeist, Netherlands in 2000. Ms. Martin's work in the civil litigation case is chronicled in the book by aviation security expert Rodney Wallis, Lockerbie: The Story and the Lessons
.
, Martin was assigned to the case of United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui
and continued her work on that case after transferring to the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) in 2002. In June 2002, Martin assisted in drafting a motion and protective order to protect sensitive security information from being disclosed to defendant Moussaoui. See, Motion by USA as to Zacharias Moussaoui for Protective Order Prohibiting Disclosure of Sensitive Aviation Security Information to Defendant.
At the same time as her ongoing work in the Moussaoui case, Martin was also representing FAA/TSA interests in the case of United States v. Richard C. Reid, aka "the shoe bomber." On January 30, 2003, Martin was present in Judge Young's courtroom in Boston during Reid's sentencing, as she was responsible for the matter of classified materials that the court ruled during Reid's sentencing that he would not be allowed to see. Found athttp://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/3/16/170048.shtml?s=lh -Accessed May 1, 2010
During the sentencing trial in March 2006, Judge Leonie Brinkema
learned that Martin contacted seven FAA witnesses in an apparent violation of a court order. Martin denied any wrongdoing in connection with her work on the Moussaoui trial. There was no one in the courtroom during the 2006 hearings of March 13, 14, and 21 to represent her interests, to cross-examine the witnesses, or otherwise proffer other evidence and other email threads never seen by the court between Carla Martin and Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Novak, evidence that would have rebutted the pervasive misrepresentations and mischaracterizations of her work made by the prosecutors and the court.
Roscoe Howard, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and Martin's attorney after the March 14th hearing had taken place, stated that "only her accusers' stories have been told, and those stories have been accepted as the whole truth." "They are not." The federal investigation concerning Martin's work in the case was dropped, without public comment or elaboration, in September 2006.
In April 2009, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of the Department of Justice, (DOJ) the office which investigates professional and ethical misconduct of lawyers within the Department, issued its final sanctions on the misconduct complaint filed with OPR against Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Novak, prosecutor in the Moussaoui sentencing trial. The sanctions were the result of an over one year long investigation into the events surrounding the Moussaoui prosecutors' failure of accountability in this matter, as well as the many misrepresentations that were made to the court concerning Carla Martin's work in the case. OPR's finding was upheld that AUSA David Novak exercised "poor judgment"-a sanctionable offense- for failure to inform his witnesses and Ms. Martin- agency counsel working with AUSA Novak for 4 years on the case-at any time regarding the court's sequestration order which had been issued weeks before the trial started. The judge had ordered the prosecutors both orally and through a written order issued on February 22, 2006, to inform their witnesses of the order. The sequestration order was different from Federal Rule of Evidence 615, the Rule Against Witnesses, as it went further than the generic Rule, as the court took pains to point out to the prosecutors in the March 13, 2006 hearing. See, Moussaoui Trial Transcript, March 13, 2006.
Further, OPR determined that AUSA Novak exercised poor judgment by mischaracterizing Carla Martin's work in the prosecutors' filing to the court on March 15, 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer.
Background
Martin graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville '. Martin earned her law degree from the Washington College of LawWashington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington D.C. in 1989
Martin was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1990. She began working at the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) during law school.
Martin's case, Public Citizen, Aviation Consumer Action Project, and Families of Pan Am 103 v. FAA, 988 F.2d 186 (D.C.Cir. 1993) is one of the seminal federal cases cited for FOIA Exemption 3, and for the protection and non-disclosure of sensitive security information
Sensitive security information
Sensitive Security Information or SSI is sensitive but unclassified information obtained or developed in the conduct of security activities, the public disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy, reveal trade secrets or privileged or confidential information, or be...
(SSI). Martin was also responsible, as FAA counsel, for the Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
/Lockerbie bombing case for several years, both the civil litigation trial in 1992 against Pan American World Airways in New York, as well as the criminal prosecution of the Lockerbie bomber defendants Megrahi and Fhimah in the Scottish court at Zeist, Netherlands in 2000. Ms. Martin's work in the civil litigation case is chronicled in the book by aviation security expert Rodney Wallis, Lockerbie: The Story and the Lessons
Lockerbie: The Story and the Lessons
Lockerbie: The Story and the Lessons is a book by aviation security expert Rodney Wallis on the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie bombing case, focusing upon the civil litigation trial brought by surviving family members against the now defunct Pan American World Airways.-Lockerbie civil case:The civil trial...
.
Moussaoui trial
While working for the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Martin was assigned to the case of United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui
Zacarias Moussaoui
Zacarias Moussaoui is a French citizen who was convicted of conspiring to kill citizens of the US as part of the September 11 attacks...
and continued her work on that case after transferring to the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
(TSA) in 2002. In June 2002, Martin assisted in drafting a motion and protective order to protect sensitive security information from being disclosed to defendant Moussaoui. See, Motion by USA as to Zacharias Moussaoui for Protective Order Prohibiting Disclosure of Sensitive Aviation Security Information to Defendant.
At the same time as her ongoing work in the Moussaoui case, Martin was also representing FAA/TSA interests in the case of United States v. Richard C. Reid, aka "the shoe bomber." On January 30, 2003, Martin was present in Judge Young's courtroom in Boston during Reid's sentencing, as she was responsible for the matter of classified materials that the court ruled during Reid's sentencing that he would not be allowed to see. Found athttp://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/3/16/170048.shtml?s=lh -Accessed May 1, 2010
During the sentencing trial in March 2006, Judge Leonie Brinkema
Leonie Brinkema
Leonie M. Brinkema is a United States District Court judge, in the Eastern District of Virginia.-Early life and education:...
learned that Martin contacted seven FAA witnesses in an apparent violation of a court order. Martin denied any wrongdoing in connection with her work on the Moussaoui trial. There was no one in the courtroom during the 2006 hearings of March 13, 14, and 21 to represent her interests, to cross-examine the witnesses, or otherwise proffer other evidence and other email threads never seen by the court between Carla Martin and Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Novak, evidence that would have rebutted the pervasive misrepresentations and mischaracterizations of her work made by the prosecutors and the court.
Roscoe Howard, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and Martin's attorney after the March 14th hearing had taken place, stated that "only her accusers' stories have been told, and those stories have been accepted as the whole truth." "They are not." The federal investigation concerning Martin's work in the case was dropped, without public comment or elaboration, in September 2006.
In April 2009, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of the Department of Justice, (DOJ) the office which investigates professional and ethical misconduct of lawyers within the Department, issued its final sanctions on the misconduct complaint filed with OPR against Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Novak, prosecutor in the Moussaoui sentencing trial. The sanctions were the result of an over one year long investigation into the events surrounding the Moussaoui prosecutors' failure of accountability in this matter, as well as the many misrepresentations that were made to the court concerning Carla Martin's work in the case. OPR's finding was upheld that AUSA David Novak exercised "poor judgment"-a sanctionable offense- for failure to inform his witnesses and Ms. Martin- agency counsel working with AUSA Novak for 4 years on the case-at any time regarding the court's sequestration order which had been issued weeks before the trial started. The judge had ordered the prosecutors both orally and through a written order issued on February 22, 2006, to inform their witnesses of the order. The sequestration order was different from Federal Rule of Evidence 615, the Rule Against Witnesses, as it went further than the generic Rule, as the court took pains to point out to the prosecutors in the March 13, 2006 hearing. See, Moussaoui Trial Transcript, March 13, 2006.
Further, OPR determined that AUSA Novak exercised poor judgment by mischaracterizing Carla Martin's work in the prosecutors' filing to the court on March 15, 2006.
See also
- Airline securityAirline securityAirline security refers to the procedures and infrastructure designed to avoid security problems aboard aircraft. A related area is airport security. Security for air travel is primarily based in airports...
- Airport security repercussions due to the September 11, 2001 attacksAirport security repercussions due to the September 11, 2001 attacksAfter the events of September 11, 2001, questions were raised regarding the effectiveness of security at the time, as all 19 hijackers managed to pass existing checkpoints and board the aircraft...
- Sensitive Security InformationSensitive Security InformationSensitive Security Information is a category of sensitive but unclassified information under the United States government's information sharing and control rules...