Essay
Competition in Honor of the late Criminal Defense Attorney Deron Castro - Criminal Defense Attorney
Patrick Michael Megaro, the Senior Partner at Halscott Megaro, P.A. announces
the creation of the Deron Castro Memorial Scholarship.
Deron Castro, a New York
criminal defense attorney par excellence, departed this Earth too soon and too
suddenly in late July 2018. He will not be forgotten by his family, his
children, his colleagues whose respect he earned, and his many grateful clients
whom he served in over 24 years of his law practice. He sought justice for many
unjustly accused. He took more than 90 criminal cases to trial, winning the
vast majority of them.
Only days earlier, in
early July 2018, Deron had a major win in the Queen’s County Supreme Court when
the judge agreed to throw out evidence against the defendant in a murder case
after a pre-trial hearing. The District Attorney sought to introduce statements
of the defendant made during an interrogation by homicide detectives. After
carefully cross-examining the detective at the hearing, Castro was able to
persuade the judge to suppress the evidence by citing past cases where similar
evidence was tossed out. It is quite unusual for a judge to suppress a
defendant's own statements, let alone to have them suppressed in a murder case.
Few attorneys could accomplish such a feat in court. Deron was one of them.
In his honor, Halscott
Megaro, P.A. will be hosting its Annual Essay Writing Competition, which is
open to all current full-time and part-time enrolled students in an ABA
accredited law school. One winner will be selected and will receive a $1000.00
scholarship award from the Deron Castro Memorial Scholarship.
Deron Castro, Esq. was a
personal friend and colleague of Patrick Michael Megaro. Mr. Castro started his
career at The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division, in Queens, New York
as a public defender before going into private practice. Mr. Castro and Mr.
Megaro cooperated in criminal cases, such as the successful appeal in People v.
Small (2011), see https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ny-supreme-court/1565846.html.
He was well-known and
respected as one of the most successful and skilled criminal defense attorneys,
securing acquittal after acquittal for his clients. A fearless advocate, he provided nothing but
the highest caliber of representation to his loyal and dedicated clientele.
States Mr. Megaro, “If I
or anyone in my family was charged with a crime, I would have hired Deron
Castro. He was hands down one of the best trial attorneys in New York and in
the country. Castro won with his skill, preparation, and fighting spirit. He
was highly respected by other criminal defense lawyers and feared by
prosecutors.”
Outside of the courtroom,
Deron Castro was a loving and devoted father of three and caring husband.
Always involved in his children’s activities, one could find Mr. Castro running
from basketball practice to dance recitals at night and on the weekends. He was
known for his kindness, generosity, and perpetual positive attitude which
impacted all those around him.
This Scholarship is
dedicated to the memory of one of the great lawyers in New York City, and the
United States, to ever grace a courtroom with his presence.
Eligibility:
The scholarship is open to
all current full-time and part-time matriculated students in an ABA accredited
law school.
How to Apply:
For applying the essay
contest, the candidates must write a 1000 word or fewer essay on the following
topic:
What makes the difference
between a good and a great criminal defense attorney?
Deron certainly was one of
those great attorneys, but what exactly makes a criminal attorney “great”? Here
is a starting point. One criminal defenses attorney suggests that four
qualities are necessary to be at least “good”: “[1] The single most important
thing a criminal defense lawyer can do is over-investigate their case. It is
the probably the biggest single difference in lawyers, how much independent
investigation they do. …. [2] Everyone knows that criminal defense lawyers must
be strong negotiators. … There are really only two factors that should be
considered in negotiation: what does this person deserve and what is the
likelihood of conviction if the case proceeds to trial (what is the strength of
the case). … [3] Third, provide a technical legal defense. This is the kind of
thing you learn in law books. Read the discovery. Read the law. Reread the
discovery. Reread the law. There is usually something to argue about. … [4] In
my opinion, the toughest skill, is being able to win at trial. Not many lawyers
will take tough cases to trial. …” Robert King, “What makes a good criminal
lawyer?”, see https://www.robertkinglawfirm.com/blog/2017/may/what-makes-a-good-criminal-lawyer-/
(2017)
Submission Details:
Your essay must be
submitted via email to info@appealslawgroup.com and must be in Word or PDF
format.
In the alternative, the
applicant may submit a 5-minute (or less) video essay. The video must be a closeup of the applicant,
giving their essay as a lecture or speech, addressing the camera directly and
must have a green screen in the background. Editing is permitted.
The essay must be
submitted along with a short bio on the applicant, a passport-style photograph
of the applicant, and a release permitting publication of the photograph and
the essay (or video) by Halscott Megaro, P.A., its agents or assigns.
Award Amount:
The $1000.00 scholarship
will be awarded to the winning candidate.
Application Deadline:
The deadline for essay
submission is September 1, 2018
The winner will be
announced September 8, 2018
Halscott Megaro, P.A. is a
law firm dedicated to the pursuit of justice, focusing on criminal and civil
appeals, post-conviction relief, criminal defense, clemency advocacy, and civil
rights advocacy. Website: https://www.appealslawgroup.com
Deron Castro Condolences
are published at
https://fairchildsons.com/tribute/details/1860/Deron-Castro/condolences.html#content-start
**** Patrick Michael Megaro is a partner at Halscott Megaro PA. His primary areas of practice are criminal defense, criminal appeals, post-conviction relief, civil appeals, and civil rights litigation. Attorney Profile at: https://solomonlawguild.com/patrick-michael-megaro; Attorney News at: https://attorneygazette.com/patrick-megaro%2C-esq#ab17a387-a757-4c0f-bc37-81f556fd15ea
