Renewed War on Drugs, harsher charging policies, stepped-up criminalization of immigrants — in the current climate, joining the NACDL is more important than ever. Members of NACDL help to support the only national organization working at all levels of government to ensure that the voice of the defense bar is heard.
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NACDL is committed to enhancing the capacity of the criminal defense bar to safeguard fundamental constitutional rights.
NACDL harnesses the unique perspectives of NACDL members to advocate for policy and practice improvements in the criminal legal system.
NACDL envisions a society where all individuals receive fair, rational, and humane treatment within the criminal legal system.
NACDL’s mission is to serve as a leader, alongside diverse coalitions, in identifying and reforming flaws and inequities in the criminal legal system, and redressing systemic racism, and ensuring that its members and others in the criminal defense bar are fully equipped to serve all accused persons at the highest level.
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This training program will aid those working to defend persons accused of homicide in drug-related overdose deaths. Each section of the program focuses on a different aspect of these cases. CLE is not available for this program.
The panel addresses militarization, ethnic & racial dynamics of sentencing and their impact on criminal justice outcomes.
The panel examines the historical and systemic issues associated with crime and the response of police to those communities most affected by crime. The panel also addresses solutions policy makers and communities can make to solve these issues on the local, state and federal level.
There is no question – racial and ethnic disparities abound in our criminal justice system. Racial bias, both conscious and unconscious, results in more people of color being stopped, arrested, convicted and imprisoned than ever before. Criminal defense lawyers and public defenders are not immune to bias and, of all people in the system, should be aware of their biases and keep them in check.
Presented by: Scott Bales, Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court; and Lisa Foster, Co-Director, Fines and Fees Justice Center
This webinar was supported by Grant No. 2013-DB-BX-K015 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Presented by Bonnie Hoffman, Director of Public Defense Reform and Training, NACDL
Supported by a grant awarded by Arnold Ventures to the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School and the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University
Featuring Wade Banium, Bail Division Chief, and Sarah Wood, General Counsel, Harris County Public Defender’s Office. Discussion moderated by Bonnie Hoffman, Senior Director of Public Defense, NACDL
Overcriminalization is a dangerous trend that should alarm everyone. With over 4,450 crimes scattered throughout the federal code, and hundreds of thousands more hidden in federal regulations, “doing the right thing” just isn’t enough to keep you on the right side of the law. Every day people can become overcriminalization victims in a heartbeat and the consequences can be devastating. Watch this video to learn more about the problem of overcriminalization and the path for reform.
The U.S. government launders the original source of evidence in criminal cases in a practice known as “parallel construction.” In order to keep certain investigative activity hidden, agents simply arrange for an alternate evidentiary path. This practice allows the government to obscure secret surveillance technologies and programs or potentially illegal investigative methods from those accused in criminal cases, and the public at large. This webinar will educate members of the defense community about the practice of "parallel construction" and prepare them to fight it in the courtroom.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searches the digital devices of people at border crossings and at ports of entry without a warrant and without suspicion. Criminal defense lawyers are uniquely exposed to abuse in this context, as their devices store privileged communications and work product. NACDL recently released a primer on the border searches of electronic devices. Drawing from the primer, this webinar will empower members of the defense community to be proactive in protecting their sensitive documents and communications when re-entering the country.
Recent legislative changes to Virginia Code 16.1-272 give the judiciary greater guidance and discretion in sentencing youth convicted of felony offenses in Virginia. This program features an overview of the blended sentencing provisions for juveniles transferred to circuit court followed by a discussion of the new sentencing provisions passed earlier this year.
The grand jury has long drawn criticism for failing to serve its purpose as a shield against unwarranted charges. Recently a new charge has been leveled: that prosecutorial influence over the grand jury permits law enforcement misconduct to go unpunished. Both facets of the issue are discussed in turn by two distinguished panels of experts.
This webinar is a rapid-fire overview of the compassionate release legal framework, the process, best practices, and the latest legal developments. Practitioners in the field and long-time experts discuss grounds for compassionate release including COVID-19 and other sentencing developments; the compassionate release exhaustion requirement; getting and analyzing clients’ medical records; how to strategize when filing motions outside of your home district; helping create a reentry plan; and dealing with detainers.
A key pillar of the First Step Act, a bipartisan federal criminal reform bill signed into law in December 2018, was the creation of a risk and needs assessment tool for federal prisoners. In July 2019, the Department of Justice first published this tool, the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (“PATTERN”) and began using it to place prisoners in recidivism reduction programming and award certain benefits. This webinar discusses the origins of PATTERN as well as the many questions that remain about its design and implementation, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.