Education
He attended Brandeis University, where he received his Bachelor"s degree in 1971, University of Virginia where he received his Master"s degree in 1976, and Boston College, where he received his degree in Law, also in 1976.
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Gerald Zerkin
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He has specialized in death penalty defense and civil rights. He has gained further notability for leading the defense, along with Edward B. McMahon Junior., of the trial of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui. Associates have commented on Zerkin"s "dedication and willingness to live away from home to work the Moussaoui case." (Forbescom) Zerkin has argued strongly for a life imprisonment sentence for Moussaoui, declaring that the defendant wanted a death sentence so that he could be a shahid (martyr), despite statements from Moussaoui indicating that he would like to live and "fight" and that he believes he will be released from prison.
Zerkin further insisted that his client was schizophrenic and was not actually aware of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Qaeda"s plot to fly planes into the World Trade Center towers and other strategic targets, despite Moussaoui"s protests to the contrary.
During jury selection, Zerkin successfully prevented a colleague of a 9/11 victim from presiding on the jury, calling him unfit, though the man stated that he had not attended the victim"s funeral and did not believe that all terrorists should receive the death penalty. In contrast, Zerkin successfully campaigned for a county government worker who described herself as a "liberal" to be on the jury, though she had proclaimed on a jury questionnaire: "I don"t think we have the right to take anyone"s life."
Zerkin heads Zerkin & Associates.
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He began private practice in 1978, and began his work defending death row inmates in 1980, including Earl Washington.
