Presented by Wendy Holton, Criminal Justice Act Supervising Attorney, to the FDOM/MTACDL conference on March 12, 2026:
The John Adams award is given annually to recognize outstanding work on behalf of the CJA panel. It was named to honor John Adams and all those who risk wealth and fame to stand with those who are least favored and most vulnerable.
The 2026 recipient of the John Adams CJA Panel Lawyer of the Year is Tim Bechtold. Despite his crusty demeanor, he has an incredibly good heart and moral sense. He is an environmental lawyer who also specializes in civil rights cases for Native people and incarcerated individuals. In one particularly egregious case he achieved a multimillion dollar verdict against a private prison corporation.
Tim has plenty of lucrative work without taking on panel cases. Yet he always steps in to help and always with the toughest cases and clients. When we call him and describe the case he always says, “I’ll take it.”
We are grateful for his service to his clients, the panel, and our system of justice.
Read About the John Adams Award
