Attorney Blake Kremer is recognized for his dedication to representing social justice activists. He is in demand to speak regarding constitutional rights and has litigated numerous trials, state and federal, bench and jury, on behalf of these people. In addition, Mr. Kremer serves on many boards such as New Connections, Tacoma Little Theater, and Backbone Campaign, and has served on many others in both a board and advisory status. Mr. Kremer has also been committed to victim advocacy and volunteer legal services.
Why Blake Kremer has Dedicated his Career to Social Justice
Mr. Kremer’s father’s legal career involved significant dedication to social justice, including providing legal representation to the Black Panthers of Seattle. Blake learned from his father and his grandfather that lawyers have a special ability and responsibility to give people voices in our system of justice. While activists have the strength and conviction of their beliefs, they often need assistance in understanding how to present their beliefs in court, and how to protect their constitutional rights inside and outside of courtrooms. Learning from his father and grandfather this responsibility, Blake simultaneously acquired skills through years of handling injury cases. He learned to hone and utilize these skills both in the representation of injured people and in the representation of activists.
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Blake Kremer is Dedicated to Helping Those in Need
Mr. Kremer represented Father William “Bix” Bichsel, Sister Anne Montgomery, Father Steve Kelly, Susan Crane, and Lynne Greenwald in the years following their arrest for action at the Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Washington. He served as their standby counsel through their Federal jury trial, and acted as their attorney through their appeal, arguing before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Blake has represented many other defendants in federal trials where the issue was the same: the defendant’s committed belief that nuclear weapons are illegal and immoral. Blake has served as counsel to many other Federal trials in other states, including acting as counsel to Megan Rice after her action to enter the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Mr. Kremer has represented many environmental activists in actions designed by the activists to bring attention to their committed belief that the environment was being threatened. Blake successfully represented Marilyn Kimmerling in a week-long jury trial involving an action to bring attention to an LNG plant in Tacoma. In that case, Ms. Kimmerling was found not guilty by a jury of all charges including trespass. Blake also represented Steve Way in a similar trial involving the defendant’s belief that a liquefied natural gas plant was a threat to the environment. Again, the jury found Mr. Way not guilty of trespass.
Blake Kremer’s Social Justice Success
Mr. Kremer has been called on repeatedly to give workshops and answer questions regarding activists’ constitutional rights, both locally and in other states. He has been called on to discuss and speak to groups both small and large about immigrant rights.
Mr. Kremer has succeeded in having courts recognize Native Americans as expert witnesses, qualified to testify as experts regarding historic tribal ownership of lands. Once a court acknowledges that an individual is an expert, that expert can testify in the form of an opinion. Non-experts are typically prohibited from testifying in the form of an opinion. Expert designations are typically reserved for witnesses whose expertise is reflected by their study of historic or scientific documents and the publication of articles on related issues. Native Americans face an obstacle in achieving expert qualification to testify regarding their own history because of lack of historic documentation, the failure of scholarly journals to accept or publish articles that effectively record tribal ownership. Many Native American tribes did not have written language. By successfully arguing about these issues and discussing the importance of oral histories amongst Native Americans, Mr. Kremer has succeeded in getting Native Americans qualified in court to testify before jurors as experts.
Mr. Kremer sees these as important victories. Not only were these experts able to present important and persuasive opinion testimony; they are also able to go forward to other courts where they will be presented as having already been qualified as experts. This is an important step in Native Americans being able to achieve justice in courtrooms, in jury trials. This qualification allows them to present facts and their opinions based on their understanding of their own tribe’s histories.
Blake Kremer Represents Activists
Mr. Kremer continues to represent activists, advising them regarding constitutional rights, speaking to groups, and preparing individuals for trials. Through the course of the pandemic, Mr. Kremer has continued to prepare for several complex trials for activists, seeing many dismissed before trial.
