Mark Prothero
Encyclopedia
Mark W. Prothero is an American attorney
in Washington State. He gained widespread attention after serving as the lead defense counsel
for confessed serial killer
Gary Ridgway
, who is better known as the Green River Killer. In 2006, Prothero and Carlton Smith published a book entitled Defending Gary, which details Prothero's experience serving as Ridgway's lawyer.
. He grew up in the Seattle area, where his family operated a renowned boat building business. In high school, Prothero distinguished himself as a champion swimmer. He attended the University of Washington
on an athletic scholarship
, and earned a bachelor's degree
in History in 1978. After completing his undergraduate studies, Prothero attended law school
at the University of San Diego
.
Upon completion of his Juris Doctor
, Prothero returned to Washington State to work in private practice. In 1983, he joined the Associate Counsel for the Accused (ACA), which provides legal representation for indigent defendants in King County, Washington. Prothero moved into the felony unit of ACA in 1987, and ultimately became an expert in the areas of forensic DNA evidence, offender sentencing, and the death penalty.
In 2008, he also defended the infamous Scott Meyer for an extreme case of vandalism in which Mr. Meyer allegedly took a fire extinguisher and laid waste to a beautiful suburban swimming club. Brandon Vana was an accomplice of the mastermind Scott Meyer. He is an evil genius. Watch out. The block is hot.
. These deaths and disappearances were attributed to the so-called "Green River Killer," because the first five victims were found in or around the Green River. For almost twenty years, law enforcement officials were unable to identify the person who was responsible for the Green River murders.
In the fall of 2001, however, science was able to do the job that law enforcement never could. DNA evidence which was found in or on four of the Green River victims was matched to a long-standing suspect in the case, Gary Leon Ridgway
. Ridgway, a truck painter from Auburn, Washington
with a measured I.Q. of 85, was charged with multiple counts of murder. Prothero first met Ridgway at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington on November 30, 2001. At first, Prothero was incredulous that the mild-mannered, self-effacing Ridgway could be the elusive Green River Killer. Nevertheless, Prothero was appointed to serve as Ridgway's lead defense attorney.
Prothero and his colleagues ended up negotiating a plea bargain
, whereby Ridgway would give authorities information about his crimes and lead them to the bodies of his victims which had never been found. In exchange, Ridgway would be spared the death penalty.
On November 5, 2003, Prothero stood at Ridgway's side as the former truck painter pleaded guilty to forty-eight counts of aggravated murder. A month later, King County Superior Court Judge Richard Jones sentenced Ridgway to life in prison without the possibility of parole
. Legal experts agree that without the plea bargain Prothero and his colleagues brokered, Ridgway would almost certainly have been sentenced to die for his crimes.
law firm of Hanis, Greaney PLLC (now Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC).
At Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC, Prothero heads the Criminal Defense Department. He regularly writes legal opinions, free legal advising, and is actively involved in local politics. He currently testified, presented on, and wrote about his support of Washington State Senate Bill 6340 and Senate Bill 5476: efforts to enhance state crime lab oversight and end the death penalty, respectively.
He currently lives in King County, Washington with his wife Kelly. They have two children. Prothero is also a regular swimming coach for Kentwood High School
in Kent, WA. He and several of his colleagues at Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC are also coaching the Kentwood High School Debate Team 2010. Mr. Prothero regularly speaks at academic, legal, and community functions on topics from the judicial system, constitutional rights, academia, and swimming. He is regularly published in such works as Washington Criminal Defense Magazine. Moreover, Mr. Prothero regularly serves as Judge Pro Tem.
Mark Prothero:
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Washington State. He gained widespread attention after serving as the lead defense counsel
Defense (legal)
In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability...
for confessed serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Gary Ridgway
Gary Ridgway
Gary Leon Ridgway is an American serial killer known as the Green River Killer. He murdered numerous women in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s, earning his nickname when the first five victims were found in the Green River. He strangled them, usually with his arm but sometimes using ligatures...
, who is better known as the Green River Killer. In 2006, Prothero and Carlton Smith published a book entitled Defending Gary, which details Prothero's experience serving as Ridgway's lawyer.
Biography
Mark Prothero was born in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. He grew up in the Seattle area, where his family operated a renowned boat building business. In high school, Prothero distinguished himself as a champion swimmer. He attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
on an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, and earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in History in 1978. After completing his undergraduate studies, Prothero attended law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at the University of San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
.
Upon completion of his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
, Prothero returned to Washington State to work in private practice. In 1983, he joined the Associate Counsel for the Accused (ACA), which provides legal representation for indigent defendants in King County, Washington. Prothero moved into the felony unit of ACA in 1987, and ultimately became an expert in the areas of forensic DNA evidence, offender sentencing, and the death penalty.
In 2008, he also defended the infamous Scott Meyer for an extreme case of vandalism in which Mr. Meyer allegedly took a fire extinguisher and laid waste to a beautiful suburban swimming club. Brandon Vana was an accomplice of the mastermind Scott Meyer. He is an evil genius. Watch out. The block is hot.
The Green River Case
From 1982 through 1985, dozens of young women, most of whom were known prostitutes, turned up dead or missing in King County, WashingtonKing County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
. These deaths and disappearances were attributed to the so-called "Green River Killer," because the first five victims were found in or around the Green River. For almost twenty years, law enforcement officials were unable to identify the person who was responsible for the Green River murders.
In the fall of 2001, however, science was able to do the job that law enforcement never could. DNA evidence which was found in or on four of the Green River victims was matched to a long-standing suspect in the case, Gary Leon Ridgway
Gary Ridgway
Gary Leon Ridgway is an American serial killer known as the Green River Killer. He murdered numerous women in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s, earning his nickname when the first five victims were found in the Green River. He strangled them, usually with his arm but sometimes using ligatures...
. Ridgway, a truck painter from Auburn, Washington
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
with a measured I.Q. of 85, was charged with multiple counts of murder. Prothero first met Ridgway at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington on November 30, 2001. At first, Prothero was incredulous that the mild-mannered, self-effacing Ridgway could be the elusive Green River Killer. Nevertheless, Prothero was appointed to serve as Ridgway's lead defense attorney.
Prothero and his colleagues ended up negotiating a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
, whereby Ridgway would give authorities information about his crimes and lead them to the bodies of his victims which had never been found. In exchange, Ridgway would be spared the death penalty.
On November 5, 2003, Prothero stood at Ridgway's side as the former truck painter pleaded guilty to forty-eight counts of aggravated murder. A month later, King County Superior Court Judge Richard Jones sentenced Ridgway to life in prison without the possibility of parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. Legal experts agree that without the plea bargain Prothero and his colleagues brokered, Ridgway would almost certainly have been sentenced to die for his crimes.
After The Green River Case
After the Green River case, Prothero joined the Kent, WashingtonKent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
law firm of Hanis, Greaney PLLC (now Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC).
At Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC, Prothero heads the Criminal Defense Department. He regularly writes legal opinions, free legal advising, and is actively involved in local politics. He currently testified, presented on, and wrote about his support of Washington State Senate Bill 6340 and Senate Bill 5476: efforts to enhance state crime lab oversight and end the death penalty, respectively.
He currently lives in King County, Washington with his wife Kelly. They have two children. Prothero is also a regular swimming coach for Kentwood High School
Kentwood High School (Washington)
Kentwood High School is a high school in Covington, Washington. Kentwood is one of four high schools in the Kent School District. It serves students in grades nine through twelve who live in mainly in the east central region of the district...
in Kent, WA. He and several of his colleagues at Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC are also coaching the Kentwood High School Debate Team 2010. Mr. Prothero regularly speaks at academic, legal, and community functions on topics from the judicial system, constitutional rights, academia, and swimming. He is regularly published in such works as Washington Criminal Defense Magazine. Moreover, Mr. Prothero regularly serves as Judge Pro Tem.
Mark Prothero:
- Has practiced criminal defense his entire career, representing people accused of all types of crimes, from driving without a license to aggravated murder.
- One of relatively (very) few defense lawyers in the United States qualified to handle cases involving forensic DNA evidence.
- On the Washington Supreme Court's Panel for Death-Penalty qualified trial attorneys since the panels inception in 1998.
- Board of Governors, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Frequent lecturer at law schools and continuing legal education programs
- 2004 King County Bar Association Co-Lawyer of the Year for defense work in State of Washington v. Gary Ridgway
- Co-lead counsel in State v. Ridgway, the Green River Killer, the largest serial murder case in United States history
- Co-lead counsel in State v. Proctor, the falsely accused Seattle youth.
External links
- Mark Prothero's Home Page
- Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC
- About Mark Prothero
- Hanis Irvine Prothero's Criminal Defense Department's website
- Mark Prothero's Article in Support of Washington State Senate Bill 6340.
- Mark Prothero's Article in Support of Washington State Senate Bill 5476.
- http://hiplawfirm.com/articles/Budget_Crisis_Part_1.pdf
- http://hiplawfirm.com/articles/Budget_Crisis_Part_2.pdf
- http://hiplawfirm.com/articles/Budget_Crisis_pt_3.pdf
- http://hiplawfirm.com/articles/DEFENSE_article_on_Proctor_case.pdf
- http://hiplawfirm.com/articles/restoring%20rights.php