Contact: 406.868.3753
Daniel Donovan

Curriculum Vitae

Daniel Donovan, PC

ATTORNEY AT LAW
P.O Box 6573
Great Falls, Montana 59506
Telephone (406) 868-3753
dan@danieldonovanlaw.com
  • Life Member: National Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Life Member: Montana Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Recipient of the Charles F. (Timer) Moses Award 1997
  • Montana Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year 2009

Licensed to Practice

State of Montana
United States District Court for the District of Montana
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States

Education

J.D., 1976, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California
B.S. (with honors), 1971, Conservation of Natural Resources,
University of California, Berkeley

Legal Experience

OVERVIEW
Over 40 years experience in civil and criminal practice, with focus on criminal defense. Extensive trial experience as court-appointed and retained criminal defense counsel in state and federal court. Experienced and proficient at handling federal criminal cases -- trials, appeals, sentencing guidelines. Administrative and supervisory experience as Senior Assistant Federal Defender and as Chief Public Defender of Cascade County.

October 2000 to present
PRIVATE PRACTITIONER; GREAT FALLS, MONTANA
Criminal and civil practice, with primary emphasis on criminal defense.
March 1993 to September 2000
FEDERAL DEFENDERS OF MONTANA, GREAT FALLS, MONTANA
Assistant Federal Defender and Senior Assistant Federal Defender.
February 1977 to June 1981
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF CASCADE COUNTY, MONTANA
Chief Public Defender and Assistant Public Defender (Part-time)
October 1976 to March 1993
PRIVATE PRACTITIONER; GREAT FALLS, MONTANA
General civil and criminal practice, with emphasis on criminal defense.

Professional Affiliations/Activities

NINTH CIRCUIT APPELLATE LAWYER REPRESENTATIVE - 2017-2019
CASCADE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION - President 2004-2005
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT PANEL - Training Coordinator 1991-1993
MONTANA INNOCENCE PROJECT - Board Member 2008-2019
MONTANA PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION - Member 2005-2008
MONTANA APPELLATE DEFENDER COMMISSION - Member 1991-2001
MONTANA CRIMINAL PROCEDURE COMMISSION - Member 1983-1993
MONTANA STATE BAR, Criminal Defense Section - Founder and First Chair
MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS
- Life Member, President 2007-2008
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS
- Life Member

Academia and Publications

Co-Author, Branded for Life by the Modern Scarlet Letters, Do Convicted Sex Offenders Have Rights While On Parole, Probation, or Supervised Release?, The Champion (May 2014)
Guest Lecturer, UCLA Law School, January 2014
Co-Author, Who is an Indian: History Creates a Legal Labyrinth and Defense Opportunities, The Champion (May 2012)
Co-Author, To Be or Not to Be: Who is an "Indian Person"?, Montana Law Review (Winter 2012)
Co-Author, The Prisoner’s Dilemma Becomes the Lawyer’s Dilemma, To be a Zealous Advocate or a Judas Goat, The Montana Lawyer (Dec 2009/Jan 2010)
Co-Author, Comes a Time: The Case for Recording Interrogations, Montana Law Review (Winter 2000) and The Champion (December 2002)

Awards

2009: Montana Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year
1997: Recipient, The Charles F. (Timer) Moses Award, for Outstanding and Committed Service in the Practice of Criminal Defense Law in Montana

Significant Cases

Johnny Lynn Old Chief v. United States, 519 U.S. 172 (1997)
United States v. Timothy Wolf Child, 699 F.3d 1082 (9th Cir. 2012)
United States v. Shane Maggi, 598 F.3d 1073 (9 th Cir. 2010)
United States v. John Jaeger, 2010 WL 2541039 (D.MT 2010)
In re Kenneth R. Olson, 202 Fed.Appx. 721 (9 th Cir. 2006)
United States v. John Lence, 466 F.3d 721 (9 th Cir. 2006)
United States v. Priest Butte Farm, Inc., 315 F.3d 1176 (9 th Cir. 2003)
United States v. Cecil Jackson, 726 F.2d 1466 (9 th Cir. 1984)
United States v. Henrietta Ell, 718 F.2d 291 (9 th Cir. 1983)
State of Montana v. Harvey Niemi, 252 Mont. 531, 830 P.2d 1280 (1992)
State of Montana v. Casey Furlong, 213 Mont. 251, 690 P.2d 986 (1984)
State of Montana v. Kenneth Zampich, 205 Mont. 231, 667 P.2d 955 (1983)
Trombley v. County of Cascade, et.al., USDC DMt CV-87-114-GF-PGH (1990)