In 1999, a Florida lawyer, Anuraag Singhal, represented a man convicted of gunning down a police officer. Singhal had to somehow persuade a jury that his client, Jeffrey Lee Weaver, should face life in prison rather than the electric chair, the punishment the hard-charging prosecutor sought. The article described tears rolling down his cheeks, and his voice breaking with emotion as he pleaded for Weaver’s life. A divided jury recommended life in prison. He would become active in conservative legal circles, joining the local chapter of the Federalist Society.

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Persons: Anuraag, gunning, Singhal, Jeffrey Lee Weaver, Jeff Weaver, you’ll, ” Singhal, Donald Trump, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, Joe Manchin Organizations: The Sun Sentinel, Federalist Society, Democratic Locations: Florida, Nevada, West Virginia