Criminal Defense Bar Announces 2012-13 Student Diversity Essay Competition and Diversity Summer Fellowship Program -- Washington, DC (November 30, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to announce its annual Diversity Task Force Student Essay Competition and Diversity Summer Fellowship Program.

NACDL Applauds Senate Judiciary Committee’s Passage of Warrant Requirement for Email -- Washington, DC (November 29, 2012) – Earlier today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee adopted H.R. 2471 with Senator Patrick Leahy’s undiluted amendment requiring a warrant for law enforcement to access electronic communications stored by a third-party provider. NACDL has worked, and will continue to work, tirelessly to make this requirement the law of the land.

Former Prosecutors and Judges Join Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar to Support a Warrant Requirement for Law Enforcement Access to Email -- Washington, DC (November 27, 2012) – In a letter to Senators Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley, the Chair and Ranking Member respectively of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, 30 former prosecutors and judges weighed in on November 21 in support of Senator Leahy’s amendment to H.R. 2471. As explained in the letter, this amendment “would provide for a much needed judicial check on when the government can access our private digital information.” 

DOJ and SEC Issue Non-Binding 'Guidance' on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement -- Washington, DC (Nov. 14, 2012) – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission issued long-expected guidance concerning the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ FCPA experts are still in the process of reviewing the 120-page Guide, but have already observed that it appears to provide some additional, important guidance on the government’s interpretation of this law.

Longtime NACDL Member Sheryl Gordon McCloud Elected to Supreme Court of Washington State -- Washington, DC (November 9, 2012)  – Washington appellate attorney Sheryl Gordon McCloud was elected on Tuesday to a six-year term as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Washington. 

Miami Attorney Susan K. Bozorgi Elected to Board of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers -- Washington, DC (Nov. 6, 2012) – Susan K. Bozorgi was elected and sworn in as a member of the NACDL Board of Directors at its fall Board Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 27, 2012.

NACDL President Steven D. Benjamin Honored As a Virginia 'Leader in the Law' -- Washington, DC (October 26, 2012) – Last night at a reception at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Steven D. Benjamin, President of the National Association of the Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) was celebrated as a Virginia "Leader in the Law." 

NACDL Launches Publicly Available Restoration of Rights Database - Washington, DC (October 24, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to offer as both a resource for its members and as a service to the general public, a collection of individual downloadable documents that profile the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to relief from the numerous civil rights and other consequences of criminal conviction. 

Flawed and Unjust Guantanamo Military Commissions Exposed Again - Washington, DC (October 16, 2012) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today overturned the conviction for material support for terrorism of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a driver for Osama bin Laden. 

Ivan J. Dominguez Appointed Communications Director of Nation's Criminal Defense Bar -- Washington, DC (October 10, 2012) – Today, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to announce that Ivan J. Dominguez has been appointed as NACDL's new Director of Public Affairs and Communications. Ivan succeeds Jack King who served NACDL with distinction in that position for the past nine years. 

New Appointments at Nation's Criminal Defense Bar -- Washington, DC (October 10, 2012) – As the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) begins its 2012 -13 fiscal year, a number of important appointments have been announced.

Entrusting the Fourth Amendment to the Dogs: Canine Evidence and the Constitution -- Washington, DC (October 1, 2012) – What: Please join the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and a panel of privacy and Fourth Amendment experts as we discuss the implications of two cases to be argued before the Supreme Court on October 31, 2012, challenging law enforcement use of drug detection dogs. The discussion will be followed by a live demonstration with a handler and a trained drug sniffing dog.

Dog Sniffs and the Fourth Amendment at the Supreme Court Early This Term -- Washington, DC (September 27, 2012) – On October 31, 2012, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two important personal privacy cases concerning drug dogs and the Fourth Amendment. Both cases come to the U.S. Supreme Court from the Supreme Court of the State of Florida. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) filed joint amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) briefs in both cases. 

Long-Suppressed Evidence Will Be Key to Jeffrey MacDonald’s Day in Court - Washington, DC (Sept. 14, 2012) – After spending the past 33 years in prison resulting from an unfair trial and a wrongful conviction, former Army Captain and medical doctor Jeffrey R. MacDonald is scheduled to get a meaningful day in court on Monday. The date is fortuitous, yet auspicious –  September 17 is Constitution Day, commemorating the date that the Constitution was signed in Philadelphia 225 years ago.

Court: Guantanamo Detainees Retain Right to Legal Counsel -- Washington, DC (Sept. 6, 2012) – Today Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order upholding Guantanamo detainees’ access to counsel. The order directly addresses and rejects each argument made by the Government in its attempt to weaken the detainees’ constitutional right to seek review of the legality of their detention.

DOJ Needs to Consider Its Full Impact on System, Say Public Defenders and Private Criminal Defense Lawyers -- Washington, DC (Aug. 20, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the American Council of Chief Defenders (ACCD) Section of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association have issued a joint resolution calling on legislators and criminal justice policy-makers to prepare “justice system impact statements” for any proposed legislation or policy change that impacts federal, state or local criminal justice systems.

New Attack on Counsel Access at GTMO to Be Heard Friday -- Washington, DC (Aug. 17, 2012) – In the latest attack on attorney-client relationships at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. Department of Justice now takes the position that Guantanamo detainees whose habeas corpus cases have been terminated no longer have the right of access to their lawyers and vice versa. Under a new “memorandum of understanding,” attorney-client visits and communications are permitted at the sole discretion of the Commander, Joint Task Force-Guantanamo.

Cal. Supreme Court Holds 110-Year Sentence For Juvenile Defendant Was ‘Cruel and Unusual’ -- Washington, DC (Aug. 16, 2012) – The California Supreme Court today held today that sentencing a juvenile to imprisonment – a term of years – with a parole eligibility date that falls past his natural life expectancy violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. 

2012-13 Officers and Newly Elected Board of Directors Members Sworn in at Annual Meeting -- Washington, DC ­ (July 31, 2012) -- NACDL elected and swore in its new Officers and Directors at its Annual Board and Membership Meeting in San Francisco, California, on July 28, 2012. California attorney, NACDL Life Member and now NACDL Parliamentarian Vicki Young was awarded the 32st annual Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award. 

ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero Awarded Champion of Justice Award by National Criminal Defense Bar --Washington, DC (July 31, 2012) – On July 27, 2012, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) honored the architect of the “John Adams Project” -- Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU -- with the Champion of Justice award. 

Defense Bar Proposes Pretrial Release Reform -- Washington, DC (July 30, 2012) – The Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) approved the first major bail reform policy proposal in over 25 years at its Annual Meeting in San Francisco July 28. The policy was proposed by the Association's Task Force on Pretrial Justice after a year of study.

Richmond Lawyer Steven D. Benjamin Sworn In As 2012-2013 President of Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar -- San Francisco­ (July 28, 2012) – Richmond, Va. attorney Steven D. Benjamin was sworn in today as President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at its 54th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Vicki Young Receives 2012 Heeney Award -- Washington, DC (July 28, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to announce that San Francisco criminal defense lawyer Vicki Young was chosen as this year’s Robert C. Heeney Award recipient. 

NACDL’s 11th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference -- Washington, DC (July 26, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), in conjunction with American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Innocence Project, and ACLU of California, presents the 11th Annual State Criminal Justice Network (SCJN) Conference entitled Gideon and Beyond: Securing Constitutional Rights Through Policy Advocacy. 

Jennifer Zito Picked for National Justice Reform Award -- Washington, DC (July 26, 2012) – Jennifer L. Zito, solo practitioner in Meriden, Conn., will be awarded NACDL’s 2nd Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award on Friday, July 27, 2012 NACDL’s  11th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference in San Francisco, California. 

Does the Constitution Even Apply at Guantanamo? Defense teams file a sealed motion seeking a ruling. -- Washington, DC (July 17, 2012) – “Does the Constitution govern Gitmo?” That is a question raised yesterday by James Connell, death penalty counsel for accused 9-11 conspirator Amar al-Baluchi, and several other 9-11 defense counsel. 

In DISROBED: An Inside Look at the Life and Work of a Federal Trial Judge, Judge Frederic Block provides a rare and revealing look at the career, cases and wisdom of a federal court judge -- Washington, DC (July 17, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ NACDL Press and Thomson Reuters Westlaw today announce the release of the first book of their joint publishing venture. 

Fla. Supreme Court Upholds State’s Controversial Drug Law But decision is at odds with state’s arguments in federal court case -- Washington, DC (July 12, 2012) – By a 5-2 margin, in an opinion by Justice Charles T. Canady, the Florida Supreme Court’s majority agreed in the result that Florida’s strict liability felony drug law at section 893.13, as modified by section 893.101, is constitutional – but as a concurring justice pointed out, might not be constitutional as applied in a given case. 

Vicki Young to Receive 2012 Heeney Award Tickets Still Available for Gideon v. Wainwright 50th Anniversary Gala -- Washington, DC (July 10, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to announce that San Francisco criminal defense lawyer Vicki Young will receive this year’s Robert C. Heeney Award.

Supreme Court Rules Stolen Valor Act Violates First Amendment -- Washington, DC (June 28, 2012) – The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (18 U.S.C. § 704(b)) made it a federal crime to lie about having received military decorations or medals. 

Arizona Immigration Law Could Still Be Abused -- Washington, DC (June 25, 2012) – The U.S. Supreme  Court struck down most of Arizona’s immigration law, S.B. 1070, today, but left  it for the state courts to decide whether a key provision will be enforced  lawfully or be exploited to abuse the rights of U.S. citizens and residents. 

Supreme Court: Eighth Amendment Prohibits Schemes of Mandatory Life without Parole for Juveniles -- Washington, DC (June 25, 2012) – The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that a scheme requiring mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, regardless of the nature of the offense. 

Court Reaffirms Fairness in Corporate, Cocaine Sentencing -- Washington, DC (June 21, 2012) – The U.S. Supreme Court today stood up for fairness in sentencing in two very different types of criminal cases. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers joined and filed amicus curiae, or friend of the court, briefs in both cases supporting the principle of fair and even-handed sentences.

Solitary Confinement: Human, Economic and Public Safety Costs -- Washington, DC (June 19, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers believes that safe and humane prisons must be the highest priority of any correctional system. NACDL welcomed the long-overdue hearing on solitary confinement held today before the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.

Criminal Defense Lawyers Condemn Imprisonment Of International Criminal Court Lawyer and Interpreter -- Washington, DC (June 11, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) strongly condemns the unlawful detention in Zintan, Libya, of the Australian criminal defense lawyer Melinda Taylor, who was appointed by the International Criminal Court to represent Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The Zintan milita have also imprisoned Ms. Taylor’s interpreter. 

Two Stevens’ Prosecutors Suspended for Brady Violations -- Washington, DC (May 24, 2012) – The U.S. Department of Justice revealed today the only two disciplinary actions it has taken in the investigation of professional misconduct leading to the indictment and conviction of the late senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens.

Accused 9/11 Defendants to Be Arraigned at Guantanamo -- Washington, DC (May 3, 2012) – On Saturday, May 5, five Guantanamo detainees accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington will be arraigned for a second time before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Hearings on Barriers to Social Re-Entry for Ex-Offenders And Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions -- Washington, DC (April 25, 2012) – With more than 65 million Americans possessing a criminal record, the consequences of conviction – specific legal barriers, generalized discrimination, and social stigma – have become more numerous and severe, more public, and more permanent. 

NACDL Plays Important Role in Summit with Senior Law Enforcement Officials Concerning Foreign Corrupt Practices Act -- Washington, DC (April 11, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) participated today in a roundtable discussion concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), hosted by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform and including senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Commerce, as well as numerous business groups and trade associations.

Death Penalty Charges Referred for Accused 9/11 Defendants -- Washington, DC (April 5, 2012) – The Pentagon yesterday formally referred charges against five Guantanamo detainees accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. A retired admiral in charge of the military commissions recommended that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-defendants face the death penalty if convicted by a military commission. 

Nat’l Criminal Defense Bar Launches Weekly Podcast, “The Criminal Docket” -- Washington, DC (March 16, 2012) – Each week, NACDL’s podcast “The Criminal Docket,” hosted by NACDL Deputy Director of Public Affairs & Communications Ivan J. Dominguez, will provide a rundown of the highlights in criminal justice news from the prior week, and will preview what’s coming up on the criminal docket in state and federal agencies, legislatures and the courts. 

LIVE WEBCAST FRIDAY: With Ted Stevens’ Lawyer Robert Cary -- Washington, DC–A two-year investigation of the prosecution of late Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens reveals that federal prosecutors and an FBI agent involved in the case deliberately and wrongfully attempted to convict a sitting U.S. senator on corruption charges they knew, or should have known, were unfounded.

NACDL Applauds Sensible, Bipartisan Discovery Reform Legislation Introduced Today in the United States Senate -- Washington, DC (March 15, 2012) – Leading U.S. Senators today introduced bipartisan legislation to bring about sensible discovery reform in criminal prosecutions. The bill is entitled the "Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act of 2012." Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Dan Inouye (D-Hawaii) are the lead sponsors who introduced the legislation, which can be found here.

Misconduct Report on Ted Stevens Prosecution: ‘Systematic Concealment of Exculpatory Evidence’ -- Washington, DC (March 15, 2012) – A two-year investigation of the prosecution of late Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens reveals that federal prosecutors and an FBI agent involved in the case deliberately and wrongfully attempted to convict a sitting U.S. senator on corruption charges they knew, or should have known, were unfounded in fact. 

House Members Join Senators in Taking on Lacey Act; Nat’l Defense Bar Applauds Another Important Step in Reining in Overcriminalization -- Washington, DC (March 8, 2012) – Today in the U.S. House of Representatives, important job-saving legislative reform attacking overcriminalization was introduced. 

NACDL Statement on AG Holder’s Remarks on the U.S. Government’s Secret ‘Execution Before Judgment’ Program -- Washington, DC (March 5, 2012) – The American people are entitled to clear notice and detail concerning precisely what kind of due process there is to impose capital punishment on U.S. citizens in the absence of judicial review or, indeed, any independent reviewing body. 

National Task Force to Hold Hearings in Miami On the Restoration of Rights and Status After Conviction -- Washington, DC (February 14, 2012) – With more than 65 million Americans possessing a criminal record, the consequences of conviction – specific legal barriers, generalized discrimination, and social stigma – have become more numerous and severe, more public, and more permanent. 

House of Representatives Correct to Reject Flawed ‘Public Corruption’ Amendment to STOCK Act -- Washington, DC (February 9, 2012) – Today, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted legislation without the “public corruption” amendment included in the Senate version on a voice vote without debate. 

Sen. Rand Paul Takes on Lacey Act; Nat’l Defense Bar Applauds Important Step in Reining in Overcriminalization -- Washington, DC (February 2, 2012) – Today in the U.S. Senate, Senator Rand Paul, joined by Senators Coburn, DeMint, Lee, and Risch, took a bold and important step to confront the ever-growing crisis of overcriminalization in the federal criminal law by sponsoring and introducing the “Freedom from Overcriminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2012,” the FOCUS Act.

NACDL and the Southern Center for Human Rights To Partner in Capital Defense Training, Technical Support -- Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA (January 30, 2012) – The National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) announced today that they will partner in providing intensive training for capital defense teams in underserved jurisdictions. 

Former CIA Officer Accused of Disclosing Classified Information to Journalists Regarding Guantanamo Detainees -- Washington, DC (Jan. 23, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers engaged qualified death-penalty counsel to provide representation for alleged “high-value” detainees facing military proceedings at Guantanamo, and promised them the necessary resources to do so. 

Supreme Court Breathes Life into Fourth Amendment -- Washington, DC (Jan. 23, 2012) – The Supreme Court today decided one of the most important liberty and privacy cases in decades, ruling unanimously that government's installation and use of a GPS tracking device on a defendant's vehicle constitutes a search that presumptively requires a warrant under the Fourth Amendment. 

Defense Bar Supports Military Defense Counsel in Opposing JTF-GTMO Order to Violate Attorney-Client Privilege -- Washington, DC (January 13, 2012) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) fully supports Military Commission Chief Defense Counsel Col. Jeffrey P. Colwell’s directive today that defense lawyers under his command cease written communications with their clients on grounds that the order compels them to unlawfully reveal information related to representation of their clients in violation of the rules of professional conduct.

Guantanamo Legacy: A Decade of Detentions -- Statement of Lisa M. Wayne, President, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: January 11, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nearly three years after President Obama’s executive order to close the facility within one year, it remains open. 171 men are detained there, even though nearly half of them have been cleared for release by both the Bush and Obama administrations. 

Maryland High Court Affirms Right to Public Defender at Bail Hearings Statewide - Washington, DC (January 4, 2012) – The Maryland Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, made clear today that as a matter of state law, every person brought before a bail commissioner is entitled to have a lawyer argue for her release before bail is set, regardless of the individual’s financial situation. The case is DeWolfe v. Richmond, No. 34. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of the plaintiffs.