Richard Kammen

During his active practice, Richard Kammen was one of the top criminal defense lawyers in Indiana and a nationally recognized expert in defending homicide and capital cases. He also defended numerous white-collar and other complex cases.

He graduated from Ripon College cum laude in 1968 and New York University School of Law in 1971. Admitted to the Bar in 1971, he began his practice after service in the United States Army.

During his professional career, Mr. Kammen has served as a public defender in the Marion County Courts on two occasions, 1972-1974 and 1978-1979.

Now semi-retired, Mr. Kammen still consults with members of the firm as well as with lawyers throughout the United States. He is also an author and his first novel, Tortured Justice Guantanamo Bay was published in the spring of 2023. His second novel, Tortured Justice South Carolina will be published in early 2024.

Mr. Kammen was routinely appointed by the United States District Courts to represent capitally charged defendants throughout the United States, including such cases as:

• United States v. Raymond Cheely, where the government's request for the death penalty was dismissed as improper.

• United States v. Reginald Brown, where the government's request for the death penalty and underlying murder charges were dismissed because the defendant was innocent.

• United States v. Joe Minerd, in which the defendant, convicted of killing his pregnant girlfriend and her three-year-old with a bomb, received a life sentence.

For many years, Mr. Kammen was lead counsel in the defense of Rahim al-Nashiri, who is facing the death penalty at Guantanamo Bay for his alleged role in the bombing of the USS Cole in Aden Yemen.

A frequent speaker and lecturer on criminal defense issues, Mr. Kammen has spoken in almost every state and federal circuit. He continues to speak throughout the country. Mr. Kammen also presents informative presentations about Guantanamo Bay in conjunction with the publication of his book, Tortured Justice Guantanamo Bay.