The Sammons defense team and our professional partners
Meet Attorney Anna P. Sammons
ANNA P. SAMMONS Attorney
2004 graduate of one of the top law schools in the country, University of Chicago Law School, where she worked for the Mental Health Law Project all through school.
Since her very first court appearance as a law student back in 2003, Anna P. Sammons has advocated for people accused by the government of breaking the law. She’s never clerked for a judge or worked as a prosecutor. Her years of experience are all in criminal defense, handling trial-level misdemeanors and felonies, post-conviction relief motions, and appeals. She has authored numerous publications and teaches a courses in criminal law as an adjunct faculty member at Lane Community College.
Read what colleagues and clients are saying:
Professional Associations
Federal Bar (U.S. District Court District of Oregon)
Oregon State Bar (since 2017)
New York State Bar (since 2005)
Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Lane County Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association
National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute
The Sammons Defense Team
Our team is on your side: The prosecutor does not work alone. They collaborate with law enforcement, victim advocates, and others. Sometimes, it can feel as though they are collaborating with the defense lawyers as well (read horrible example here). We don’t work alone either. Every case is staffed by multiple professionals. We work collaboratively with top-flight psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and forensic experts.
BEN SAMMONS Business Manager and Legal Analyst Ben is responsible for supervising and managing the firm’s finances and day to day operations. He prides himself on providing excellent client service and is available to answer questions about billing and other financial matters.
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In his capacity as a legal analyst, Ben monitors legislative developments and caselaw, researches legal and practical issues related to the sex offender registry, develops resource materials, and assists with every sex offender relief case. A former Classics professor at Queens College, Ben has a PhD from NYU and a BA from the University of Chicago and has authored numerous books and articles. Email: ben@sammons-criminal-law.com.
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RANKIN JOHNSON Of Counsel Attorney and author Rankin Johnson has successfully represented clients in countless appellate and post conviction cases.
Representative matters include:
Reversal of a conviction for Online Sexual Corruption, because the state
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failed to prove that the defendant necessarily knew the age of the fifteen-year-old alleged victim.
State v. Gale, 298 Or App 6 (2019).
Establishing that a post-conviction petitioner was entitled to issue subpoenas and call witnesses. Tracy v. Nooth, 252 Or App 163 (2012).
Clarifying the process to appeal an erroneous pretrial ruling.
Koch v. State, 252 Or App 657 (2012). The defendant in Koch was ultimately able to enter DUII diversion, even though he was charged with assault and convicted of DUII after a jury trial.
A respected authority on Oregon state criminal law and procedure, he has served on the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Board of Directors and chaired its amicus committee, served on the Oregon State Bar’s Uniform Criminal Jury Instruction Committee, and has written and edited criminal-law practice manuals on topics ranging from pretrial motions to sentencing, and on defending everything from DUII to prostitution. He is passionate about sharing his expertise with others and regularly blogs about the latest developments in criminal law for the OCDLA library of defense. https://libraryofdefense.ocdla.org/Special:CaseReviews Rankin manages a small appellate caseload and advises the firm in virtually every case regarding preservation, legal strategy, and administrative law matters.
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AMBER COLEMAN Private Investigator An Oregon native, army veteran, and former police officer, licensed private investigator Amber Coleman has also taught at Willamette Leadership Academy, a military style charter school for at-risk youth.
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She has also worked as a mental health advocate, helping individuals with severe and persistent mental illness navigate Oregon’s mental health bureaucracy.
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IAN BLUMBERG-ENGE Client Advocate and Legal Assistant Ian, a former direct service provider to people with disabilities, is an expert in working with and for people who have been accused of a crime and who are living with serious mental illness. Ian gathers treatment history information, connects clients
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to suitable services, and provides as-needed support. By working with a specialized advocate, we are often able to negotiate unique resolutions focused on treatment and frequently continue working with clients and their families long after their criminal cases have resolved. In his role as our legal assistant, he prepares motions, sends out discovery requests, assists with document management and assists in preparation of trial materials. Email: ian@sammons-criminal-law.com
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Our Partners
An Integrated Defense: Our team works closely with a group of trusted independent professionals. Our partners share our values and, like us, have an unwavering commitment to the people we represent.
LORI LOONEY LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist Lori Looney, a licensed therapist since 2001 and Oregon Board Certified Sex Offense therapist, is an integral member of our criminal defense team. We regularly refer clients who are experiencing stress, anxiety and
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depression as a result of their legal circumstances. Ms. Looney is a skilled mental health provider who has dedicated herself to advocating for clients involved in the criminal justice system and is particularly aware of the societal stigma individuals face when convicted, charged, or even just accused of a sexual offense. She is committed to the creation and maintenance of a safe space where clients are treated with dignity and respect as they navigate the challenges of involvement in a system that often is confusing and anxiety provoking. With a non-judgmental and compassionate approach, Ms. Looney provides a therapeutic environment to empower and support individuals to confront and change unwanted behavior, learn constructive ways to deal with stress and move forward with their lives. With over 20 years of experience, Lori Looney has developed specialized expertise in helping individuals on the Autism Spectrum, those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and/or with histories of trauma, PTSD or other mental health difficulties. In 2007, Ms. Looney founded McKenzie Counseling Sexual Offense Specific Treatment Program where she worked collaboratively with Lane County Parole and Probation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide evidenced and strength based individual and group treatment for court mandated individuals. Ms. Looney is available to meet with clients via Zoom. She does not accept insurance but will provide out of network billing upon request.
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KATHERINE GOTCH, MA, LPC, ATSA-F Sexual-Offense Specific Evaluator, Consultant Ms. Gotch has worked in the field of sexual abuse prevention for over 20 years as clinician, evaluator, trainer, educator, and within legislative/policy development.
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She is currently the director of Integrated Clinical & Correctional Services (ICCS), a consulting firm that provides competent, compassionate, and evidence-informed evaluation and assessment services for individuals who may have sexual and violent behavior problems.
She also offers evidence-informed consultation and public policy expertise to assist professionals, agencies, and other collaborative partners in understanding and improving policies and legislation in this area of law. Previously, Ms. Gotch worked as a clinician at the Massachusetts Treatment Center for Sexually Violent Persons and as the Clinical Coordinator of the Sex Offender Unit for Multnomah County Department of Community Justice in Portland, Oregon. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University and a master’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of Denver She currently serves as the Public Policy Representative for the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) Executive Board, Board Member for the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan (NPEIV), and Public Policy Advisor for Oregon ATSA.
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KENN MENEELY Consultant, Forensic Toxicology. Willamette Valley Forensics, LLC With undergraduate and postgraduate experience is in the fields of chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology, Mr. Meneely started his career at the U.S. military’s chemical and biological
warfare research division performing analysis and clinical applications of nerve agents, blister agents, choking gases, and other military chemical agents. He then accepted a job with the Oregon State Police Forensic Division where he helped establish procedures, was responsible for proficiency testing, and ran all aspects of toxicology division training. The author of numerous scientific articles in the area of forensic toxicology, Mr. Meneeley also provided training in forensic toxicology to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the Oregon State Bar Association until his retirement over a decade ago. In recent years, he has worked as a forensic consultant for both the prosecution and the defense and has been qualified as an expert witness in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in many forensics areas, including drug and alcohol effects, metabolism, and analysis of biological materials, including blood, urine, and hair.
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