Emily Gause, an attorney with her own criminal defense law firm, has been selected to receive the 2016 Anthony Savage Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) for her outstanding work on a federal criminal case. Through extensive legal briefing and motions filed by Gause, she was able to get the case against her client dismissed due to Brady violations by the prosecution involving a confidential informant. The award recognizes criminal defense attorneys who have been in practice for less than 10 years for exceptional trial performances or results. Gause will be honored at WACDL's Holiday Party and Auction in December.

1. WACDL
Amy I. Muth
President
Teresa Mathis
Executive Director
1511 Third Avenue
Ste 503
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 623-1302
Fax (206) 623-4257
info@wacdl.org
wacdl.org
Washington Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers
*** For Immediate Release: Emily Gause, class of 2011 Seattle University
School of Law, is the recipient of WACDL’s 2016 Anthony Savage Award***
The Washington Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers (WACDL) is pleased to announce that
Seattle attorney Emily Gause will receive the 2016
Anthony Savage Award. The award recognizes an
outstanding trial performance or result achieved by
an attorney in practice for less than ten years. It
will be presented at WACDL’s Holiday Party and
Auction on December 2, 2016.
Emily is being recognized for her extraordinary work in USA v Frazier, a serious
felony case in the Western District of Washington. Emily wrote extensive briefing
over many months, including a motion to suppress which raised questions about
a confidential informant’s credibility. Just days before the suppression hearing
and trial, the government disclosed new evidence that confirmed the informant
had failed a polygraph. Emily immediately filed a motion to dismiss the case
based on violations of Brady v. Maryland. Emily also filed motions demanding
that the confidential informant be named and that more information be produced
about his criminal history and department of corrections file. This revealed even
more evidence that this informant had significant veracity issues, and was
engaging in criminal activity at the time he was cooperating with police. Judge
Jones listened to days of testimony and hours of argument before ultimately
dismissing the case because of the Brady violation, after finding that the only
evidence against her client came from the unreliable and untrustworthy
informant. Her client was released from federal custody that same day
According to Lee Covell, co-counsel on the case, “her work on this case was
nothing short of phenomenal.”
Emily Gause owns her own firm — the Law Offices of Emily M. Gause PLLC —
where she practices solely in felony criminal defense, both in federal courts and
state courts across Washington State. Emily has carved an impressive
reputation in the criminal defense legal community as a rising star. After
graduating with a degree in criminal justice from Washington State University,
Emily dove into law school with the intent of becoming a criminal defense
attorney. While attending Seattle University School of Law, she worked at
Northwest Defenders Association, a public defender agency in King County, and
was a Rule 9 Law Clerk with the Washington State Attorney General's Office
where she focused on dependency cases and juvenile law. After law school,

2. Emily worked for John Henry Browne, a prominent private criminal defense attorney in Seattle,
where she was counsel for several famous clients including Colton Harris-Moore (the “barefoot
bandit”), Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, and others. Emily enjoys mentoring younger lawyers and law
students, and loves to give back to her community through volunteer work at non-profit
agencies, leadership positions with the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
(WACDL) and pro bono work on clemency petitions. Emily serves as co-chair of the WACDL
Court Rules Committee and as chair of WACDL’s Publications and Resources Brady List
subcommittee.
The Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers was formed to improve the
quality and administration of justice. WACDL has over 900 members — private criminal
defense lawyers, public defenders, and related professionals — committed to preserving
fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal justice system.
For more information, contact Fred Rice, WACDL Program Coordinator, 206-623-1302,
fred.rice@wacdl.org.