Barefoot Bandit’s attorney makes headlines


March 16, 2012 · Updated 3:25 PM 

The attorney who was in Coupeville last December to represent Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called Barefoot Bandit, made international headlines this week because of his newest client.

Seattle attorney John Henry Browne is representing the solider accused of killing 16 civilian in Afghanistan. The 38-year-old soldier is a staff sergeant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. His name hasn’t been released for security purposes.

In Island County Superior Court, Browne and his co-counsel made a compelling argument for leniency for Harris-Moore. They discussed the young man’s troubled upbringing and even brought in an expert to testify about fetal alcohol syndrome.

Browne was a high-profile attorney long before the Barefoot Bandit came along. He represented serial killer Ted Bundy and helped a man avoid the death penalty for the massacre of 13 people in a Seattle restaurant.

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