Congress Passes First Step Act; a Move in Right Direction for Federal Criminal Justice Reform - Washington, DC (Dec. 20, 2018) – Today, Congress passed the First Step Act and it is expected that the president will sign the bill into law in the coming days. NACDL and its members have long pressed to fix the unjustly severe federal sentencing regime, advocating for much more sweeping changes than are included in the First Step Act. 

Past Member of NACDL’s Board of Directors Candace Crouse Elected Appellate Judge in Ohio – Washington, DC (Nov. 15, 2018) – On Nov. 6, 2018, Election Day, Candace Crouse, a past member of NACDL’s Board of Directors and Vice Chair of NACDL’s Amicus Curiae Committee, was elected to serve as a Judge on the First District Court of Appeals in Ohio.

NACDL Files Suit Demanding Records About Federal Government’s Monitoring of Emails Between Individuals in Federal Prisons and Their Attorneys – Washington, DC (Oct. 18, 2018) – Today, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) filed suit in federal court demanding that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and Department of Justice (DOJ) release records about their monitoring of the attorney-client communications of individuals in federal prisons as well as federal prosecutors’ use of those emails against those individuals in court.

Judicial Conference Takes Steps Toward Greater Independence for Federal Public Defender System; Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Encouraged by Progress – Washington, DC (Sept. 13, 2018) – Today, the Judicial Conference of the United States, the national policymaking body for the federal court system, publicly released the 2017 Report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review the Criminal Justice Act (CJA Review Committee) and issued a statement approving 19 of the Committee’s 35 Interim Recommendations (See CJA Review Committee Report at XXXVI to XL)...

Supreme Court of Virginia Overhauls Criminal Discovery Rules; Major Victory for Broad, Bipartisan Coalition of Criminal Justice Reformers – Washington, DC (Sept. 6, 2018) – Late yesterday, Sept. 5, 2018, the Supreme Court of Virginia issued amended criminal discovery rules set to take effect July 1, 2019, marking the first such overhaul in decades. Specifically, the Court issued amended Rules 3A:11 (Discovery and Inspection) and 3A:12 (Subpoena) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

NACDL Presents Champion of Justice Restoration of Rights Award to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates – Washington, DC (Aug. 28, 2018) – On Thursday, Aug. 23, at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Presidential Summit and State Criminal Justice Network Conference – Shattering the Shackles of Collateral Consequences – in Atlanta, Georgia, NACDL presented Champion of Justice Restoration of Rights Awards to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates

Second Chance Center Receives Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award from Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar – Washington, DC (Aug. 27, 2018) – On Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, the Second Chance Center (SCC) in Aurora, Colorado, was presented with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (NACDL) Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award at NACDL's 17th Annual State Criminal Justice Network (SCJN) conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

MEDIA ALERT: NACDL Hosting Shattering the Shackles of Collateral Consequences Conference, August 23-25, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia - From Thursday, August 23, through Saturday, August 25, in Atlanta, Georgia, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is sponsoring its Presidential Summit and 17th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference, Shattering the Shackles of Collateral Consequences: Exploring Moral Principles and Economic Innovations to Restore Rights and Opportunity.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Releases Compendium of Scholarship Addressing The Enforcement Maze: Over-Criminalizing American Enterprise – Washington, DC (Aug. 7, 2018) – In 2016, NACDL co-hosted a free law and policy symposium with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform entitled The Enforcement Maze: Over-Criminalizing American Enterprise in Washington, D.C.

Atlanta, GA, Lawyer Drew Findling Sworn In as 2018-19 President of Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar; Receives Prestigious 2018 Heeney Award – Washington, DC (July 30, 2018) – Drew Findling of Atlanta, GA, was sworn in as President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the Association's Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, FL, on July 29. In addition, Findling was chosen as the 2018 recipient of NACDL’s Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award.

Rock Hill, SC, Attorney Christopher A. Wellborn Receives Champion of Justice Award from Nation's Criminal Defense Bar -- Washington, DC (July 30, 2018) – Attorney Christopher A. Wellborn of Rock Hill, SC, received the Champion of Justice Legal Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the Association's Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, FL, on July 29.

2018-19 Officers and Newly Elected Members of the NACDL Board of Directors Sworn in at Annual Meeting – Washington, DC (July 30, 2018) – NACDL installed newly elected officers and directors at its Annual Board and Membership Meeting in Miami Beach, FL, on July 29.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Releases Groundbreaking Report, Principles, and Recommendations Concerning the ‘Trial Penalty’ and the Decline of the Constitution’s Sixth Amendment Right to Trial – Washington, DC (July 10, 2018) – At a special event at the National Press Club earlier today, The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) released The Trial Penalty: The Sixth Amendment Right to Trial on the Verge of Extinction and How to Save It. 

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Blasts Tennessee Supreme Court Rate Increase – Washington, DC (July 3, 2018) – On July 1, the Tennessee Supreme Court implemented an amendment to Court Rule 13, which sets the compensation rates and fee caps for assigned counsel in the state. The amendment raised the rate for out-of-court work from $40 per hour to $50 per hour, the same rate appointed counsel currently receive for their in-court hours. This would still leave Tennessee with rates among the lowest in the nation.

Limited Assigned Counsel Rate Ruling by Wisconsin Supreme Court Ensures Wisconsin’s Public Defense System to Remain in Crisis 'Indefinitely’ – Washington, DC (June 28, 2018) – Yesterday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its formal order in the matter of the petition filed by the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL), the Wisconsin Association of Justice, and others seeking to "chang[e] the hourly rate of compensation for court-appointed lawyers to $100/hour...

President Trump Brazenly Seeks to Defy the Constitution He Swore to Defend -- Washington, DC (June 25, 2018) Yesterday, the U.S. President called for the wholesale and illegal deprivation of due process to an entire category of persons in the United States.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Carpenter – Washington, DC (June 22, 2018) – This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Carpenter v. United States (16-402). The question presented in Carpenter was “whether the warrantless seizure and search of historical cell phone records revealing the location and movements of a cell phone user over the course of 127 days is permitted by the Fourth Amendment?”

Federal Court Vacates Contempt Conviction Against Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker, Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions – Washington, DC (June 19, 2018) – Late yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth vacated the criminal contempt conviction against Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker, the Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions Defense Organization (MCDO). 

NACDL Mourns the Passing of NACDL Past President Ronald I. Meshbesher – Washington, DC (June 14, 2018) – Minneapolis, Minn. attorney and Past President (1984-85) and Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), Ronald I. Meshbesher, passed away yesterday, June 13. He was 85 years old.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Weighs In on Nation’s Lowest Assigned Counsel Rate; NACDL Executive Director Norman L. Reimer Argues for Significant Increase before Wisconsin Supreme Court – Washington, D.C. (May 16, 2018) – As revealed in a March 2013 report from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) – Gideon at 50, Part I – Rationing Justice: The Underfunding of Assigned Counsel Systems – Wisconsin has long had the lowest statutory assigned counsel rate in the nation at $40 per hour.

Malika Saada Saar Receives Champion of Justice Legal Award from the Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar – At the Foundation for Criminal Justice Gala Celebrating the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at 60 Years on April 20, 2018, in New York City, NACDL presented its Champion of Justice Legal Award to Malika Saada Saar. 

Theodore V. Wells, Jr. Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar – At the Foundation for Criminal Justice Gala Celebrating the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at 60 Years on April 20, 2018, in New York City, NACDL presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Theodore V. Wells, Jr. NACDL’s Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a lifetime of distinguished leadership and service on behalf of the law.

Quintin Chatman Receives Executive Director's Award from the Nation's Criminal Defense Bar – Washington, DC (April 25, 2018) – At the Foundation for Criminal Justice Gala Celebrating the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at 60 Years on April 20, 2018, in New York City, NACDL presented its Executive Director's Award to Quintin Chatman. Chatman serves as Editor of The Champion magazine, NACDL's flagship magazine published ten times per year.

Michelle Alexander Receives Champion of Justice Civic and Humanitarian Award from the Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar – Washington, DC (April 25, 2018) — At the Foundation for Criminal Justice Gala Celebrating the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at 60 Years on April 20, 2018, in New York City, NACDL presented its Champion of Justice Civic and Humanitarian Award to Michelle Alexander. 

Nation's Criminal Defense Bar Launches Initiative to Educate, Litigate Privacy Challenges in a Digital Age – Washington, DC (Apr. 24, 2018) – Today, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) announces the establishment of the NACDL Fourth Amendment Center, a project made possible by support from the Charles Koch Foundation, the Foundation for Criminal Justice (FCJ), and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Immigrant Defense Project Presents Champion of Justice Award to NACDL Executive Director Norman L. Reimer – Washington, DC (Apr. 13, 2018) – On Tuesday, April 10, the Immigrant Defense Project (IDP), at its 20th Anniversary Gala – "An Evening Celebrating 20 years of Fighting for Justice and Human Rights" – in New York City, presented National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Executive Director Norman L. Reimer with its Champion of Justice Award. 

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Blasts Retrograde Trump Rhetoric on Death Penalty –Washington, DC (Mar. 19, 2018) – In New Hampshire this afternoon, the president made clear his view about the importance of harsh penalties, including the death penalty for “big pushers,” as a tool in the fight against public health problem of drug addiction.

NACDL Press Publishes The Feminine Sixth: Women for the Defense, by Leading Defense Attorney and Legal Scholar Andrea D. Lyon – Washington, DC (Mar. 1, 2018) – Today, the start of Women’s History Month, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, through its publishing unit NACDL Press, released The Feminine Sixth: Women for the Defense, a groundbreaking book on women in criminal defense by Andrea D. Lyon. Ms. Lyon is a leading criminal defense attorney, legal scholar, Dean and Professor of Law at Valparaiso University School of Law, and decades-long NACDL member.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Endorses Public Defender Office Leadership Standards; Calls on Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to Hire Qualified Public Defender – Washington, DC (Feb. 22, 2018) – At its midwinter meeting, NACDL’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution Concerning Public Defender Selection.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Blasts Administration’s ‘Retrograde’ Guantánamo Plan – Washington, DC (Jan. 30, 2018) – Today, the Trump Administration formally rescinded President Obama’s 2009 directive to close the detention facility at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The practical effect of this action is that, for the foreseeable future, the military detention facility at which there remain 41 detainees, the majority of whom have never even been charged with any offense, and some of whom actually have been cleared for transfer, shall remain open.

Nation's Criminal Defense Bar is "Profoundly Disappointed" by Senate's Passage of Warrantless Surveillance Legislation – Washington, DC (Jan. 18, 2018) – Today, the Senate passed S. 139, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017, codifying warrantless surveillance of Americans into law. The FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 reauthorizes Section 702 of FISA, which was intended to target the communications of non-U.S. persons overseas, but often captures purely domestic communications. 

Department of Justice Successfully Blocks Public Access to Its Federal Criminal Discovery Blue Book – Washington, D.C. (Jan. 17, 2018) – Earlier today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed notice of its decision not to appeal the release of an extremely limited portion of its Federal Criminal Discovery Blue Book. The portion of the Blue Book that the Court found was not work product was a tiny fraction – what amounts to not much more than a handful of pages – out of a manual that contains at least 265 pages.

Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Condemns House's Passage of Warrantless Surveillance Legislation and Urges Senate to Not Pass Without Significant Reform – Washington, DC (Jan. 11, 2018) – This morning, the House of Representatives passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017, which will now head to the Senate for a vote. Section 702 surveillance was intended to target the communications of non-U.S. persons overseas, but often captures purely domestic communications.