U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California issued the following announcement on Nov. 13.
Attorney General William P. Barr has announced the recipients for the 68th Annual Attorney General’s Awards, recognizing Department of Justice employees and partners for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws.
Of the 267 recipients, 240 DOJ employees received awards while 27 non-department individuals are also being honored for their work. This year, due to coronavirus restrictions, Attorney General Barr is honoring recipients virtually.
“I am honored to recognize the recipients of this year’s Attorney General’s Awards, whose tireless work and steadfast dedication have proven critical to enforcing the rule of law and protecting all Americans,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Those honored have demonstrated exceptional efforts and made tremendous personal sacrifices throughout their time working at the Department of Justice, and for that, I am truly thankful.”
In San Diego, David Leshner and Todd W. Robinson were awarded the John Marshall Award in the Trial of Litigation category. The John Marshall Awards are the highest DOJ awards offered to attorneys, recognizing extraordinary contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. Thirteen awards in nine categories are being presented this year.
Leshner and Robinson were recognized for successfully trying and convicting multiple defendants who murdered U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Over a 10-year period, Leshner and Robinson doggedly and successfully sought justice for the family of Agent Terry, who was murdered in 2010 by an armed group of illegal alien bandits. Due to the staggered extradition of the defendants responsible for the murder of Agent Terry, Leshner and Robinson successfully conducted two lengthy and high-stakes trials, obtaining convictions and life sentences for those responsible for Agent Terry’s death.
“These are two of the finest lawyers in our district, a fact that is demonstrated by their high level leadership positions in this office,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “David Leshner currently serves as our Criminal Division Chief, and Todd Robinson was a highly regarded Senior Litigation Counsel before the Senate confirmed him as a U.S. District Court judge on September 16, 2020. Their work on this case exemplifies the best of what DOJ stands for: honor, integrity, professionalism, skill and the wholehearted dedication to seeking justice for a fallen law enforcement officer.”
Original source can be found here.