NACDL - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

NACDL President Chris Adams' written statement to the Indiana state Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee regarding proposed changes to the qualifications for parole, as laid out in HB 1202 (2021).

Coalition letter to the Oregon state legislative leadership regarding efforts to restore voting and other rights to people convicted of felony offenses, as proposed in HB 2366 / SB 571 (2021).

Letter to the Nevada state Assembly Judiciary Committee regarding a proposal to abolish the death penalty statewide, as addressed in AB 395 (2021).

Coalition Letter to the Oregon Legislature's Senate Judiciary Committee regarding improvements to state compassionate release laws, as proposed in SB 835 (2021).

Written statement of NACDL immediate past president Nina J. Ginsberg to the Virginia House of Delegates Courts of Justice Committee regarding a proposed bill to categorically prohibit the use of specific defenses in criminal cases (see HB 2132).

Letter to New Jersey legislative leadership regarding a proposed bill to require that law enforcement disciplinary records are government record and available to the public (S2656, 2020).

Coalition comments to Deputy Director of the Virginia State Crime Commission Colin Drabert regarding the Pretrial Data Project's proposed legislation to allow for public access to their data.

Letter from the Pretrial Justice Coalition to Virginia legislative leadership in their capacity as chair and vice-chair of the Virginia State Crime Commission regarding the need to release the data used in the Commission's Pretrial Data Project so the public can best assess the report and the state's pretrial system.

Coalition letter to Executive Director of the Virginia State Crime Commission Kristen Howard regarding questions and concerns with the Commission's Pretrial Data Project report.

Coalition letter from the NJ Coalition for Transparent Policing to the leadership of the New Jersey state legislature regarding proposed legislation to make law enforcement disciplinary records accessible to the public as government record (Senate Bill 2656).

Coalition letter to New York City Police Department Inspector General Philip Eure regarding an audit of the Criminal Group Database to eliminate incorrect, overbroad, and racist data and the consequences of being wrongly included in such a list.

Coalition letter to California Assemblymember Ed Chau regarding disparities and discrimination, abuse, accuracy, information sharing, and other issues in the proposed bill AB 2261 on facial recognition technologies.

Coalition letter to Governor Greg Abbott, of Texas, regarding his executive order (GA-13) refusing to allow release of inmates from state detention facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coalition letter to Attorney General William Barr regarding building on the Department of Justice's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in federal facilities, and the potential to lead states to do the same.

Coalition letter from Free to Drive to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators regarding the need to limit driver's license suspensions and refusals to renew for reasons not related to unsafe driving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joint letter from local defender organizations to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding plans to reduce state prison populations, offering guidance and assistance in this effort.

A coalition of national and local advocacy groups issued a call to state and local officials to stop rendering juvenile system fines and fee for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families are already experiencing economic hardship, in addition to other suggested policy and legislative actions to reduce harm.

Coalition letter to the National Sheriffs’ Association executive committee regarding the need to protect those incarcerated in the nation's local jails from further spread of the COVID-19 virus via decarceration and mitigation measures.

Coalition letter to the United States Conference of Mayors regarding the need to protect those incarcerated in the nation's local jails from further spread of the COVID-19 virus via decarceration and mitigation measures.

Coalition letter to the National Governors Association executive committee regarding the need to protect those incarcerated in the nation's prisons and jails from further spread of the COVID-19 virus via decarceration and mitigation measures.

Recommendations for Congress compiled by members of the Justice Roundtable for inclusion in legislation addressing COVID-19 conditions around the country, particularly in U.S. detention facilities for individuals incarcerated and working with that population.

Coalition letters to the Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and House of Delegates Judiciary Committee regarding proposed legislation (SB 921, HB 1213) to eliminate restrictions on jury eligibility for those with criminal convictions.

NACDL President Nina J. Ginsberg's written statement to the Washington, D.C. City Council Judiciary and Public Safety Committee regarding proposed legislation to prohibit "panic" defenses in criminal cases.

NACDL filed a statement with the Virginia Supreme Court in support of a Comment to Rule 3.8(d) 

In 2018 NACDL filed a public comment in support of a Petition before the Wisconsin Supreme Court to raise the rate of compensation for court appointed counsel, and declaring its current $40 per hour rate as unreasonable. The Court refused to hold the state's rate unreasonable, but did elect to raise its own court assigned case rate from $70/hour to $100/hr.

NACDL letter of opposition to Virginia Governor Terence R. McAuliffe regarding HB 815, which would make the electric chair the default method of execution if lethal injection drugs are not available in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

NACDL letter to Maryland Senate and House of Delegate members in support of SB 276/HB 295, legislation to repeal the death penalty.

NACDL letter of support to New Hampshire Senate Minority Leader Sylvia Larsen for HB 1170, an act to repeal the death penalty in New Hampshire.

NACDL letter of support to New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley for HB 1170, an act to repeal the death penalty in New Hampshire.

NACDL letter to Senator Michael Miller in support of legislation to repeal the death penalty in Maryland.

NACDL Letter to Utah Governor Gary Herbert, urging the Governor to veto House Bill 11 that would amend Utah's death penalty statute to reinstate executions by firing squad.

NACDL letter to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in support of legislation to repeal the death penalty.

NACDL letter of support to members of the Delaware House of Representatives regarding SB 19, legislation to repeal the death penalty.

The undersigned organizations write to express opposition to legislation currently under consideration by your committee - SB 36, which would create a publicly available registry for residents with a prior felony conviction. NACDL is a signatory.

Joint Comment from TACDL and NACDL

NACDL's 2018 Memo to Indiana Public Defense Task Force

NACDL comments to the Virginia Supreme Court on proposed revisions to Virginia's discovery rules: Proposed Revisions to Rules 3A:11 and 3A:12 Received from the Virginia State Bar Criminal Discovery Reform Task Force.

Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

2016 letter from numerous organizations, includng NACDL, supporting legislation to provide additional funding for New York's public defense system.

President John Wesley Hall's statement to the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security regarding public defense representation in criminal cases in Michigan and elsewhere.

NACDL Letter to New Mexico Governor in support of HB 370, the "Criminal Record Expungement Act."

NACDL letter of support on Council Bill B22-0523, the "Removing Barriers to Occupational Licenses Amendment Act of 2017."

Maryland's Death Penalty: Still Here, Still Unfair. More Arbitrary and Costly.