Washington, DC (February 22, 1997) --The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) will file suit tomorrow under the Freedom of Information Act seeking expedited disclosure of the Justice Department's Inspector General report outlining serious problems in the FBI laboratory.
NACDL lawyers will hold a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 25, to explain the urgency of this action.
WHO: NACDL Vice President William B. Moffitt, Asbill Junkin & Moffitt, Washington, D.C.; NACDL Board Member and Prosecutorial Misconduct Committee Co-Chair Marvin Miller, Alexandria, Va.; NACDL Board Member Stephen Bright, Director, Southern Center for Human Rights; Jack King, co-plaintiff, NACDL Director of Public Affairs. NACDL is represented by Daniel S. Alcorn, Fensterwald & Alcorn, Vienna, Va., who will also be present for questions.
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Side entrance to U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Constitution Ave. and John Marshall Plaza.
NACDL maintains disclosure of the report is a matter of utmost urgency, due to unfortunate legislation last April 24 imposing a one-year time limit on the filing of habeas corpus and collateral attacks on convictions. For a great many federal and state prisoners, that deadline is only eight weeks away. It is entirely possible that wrongfully convicted persons may never receive a fair trial if the unexpurgated report is not released in the next few weeks.
Contacts
NACDL Communications Department
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.
