This month Jon M. Sands reviews Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson and The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World by Malcolm Gaskill.

NACDL held a live webcast interview with the late Senator Ted Stevens’ attorney Robert M. Cary, of Williams & Connolly LLP, who discussed the ramifications of the case and the investigation, and the future of federal discovery reform. 

What are a criminal defense attorney’s duties to the client when the attorney learns that jail or prison communications between the attorney and client are subject to official monitoring?

Michael Heiskell interviews a law school professor and former student who were part of a team that was instrumental in convincing the U.S. Army to overturn the 100-year-old convictions of 110 Black soldiers that stemmed from the Camp Logan riots.

The Sixth Amendment states that "[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to . . . trial, by an impartial jury...."  The focus on jury impartiality was rooted in the desire to preserve individual liberty in the face of a tyranical government.

(Pre-Search Instructions and Post-Search Reasonableness)

A Report by NACDL’s Fourth Amendment Advocacy Committee Reporter, Steven R. Morrison [Released July 2014]

The heart of the American system of justice is the adversarial process. It is the means by which truth is pursued, justice is done, the individual is protected from government overreach, and community values are expressed.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the accused the right to a public trial and is aimed at creating transparency, fairness, and accountability.

The public trial right “is for the benefit of the accused; that the public may see he is fairly dealt with and not unjustly condemned and that the presence of interested spectators may keep his triers keenly alive to a sense of their responsibility and to the importance of their functions . . . .”

-Thomas Cooley

Among the rights enumerated in the Sixth Amendment is the right to a speedy trial.

NACDL frequently writes to members of Congress, the Department of Justice, and the president on fourth amendment issues. These letters have been collected and are available for download by clicking on the titles below.

The "Free Flow of lnformation Act" (S. 448; H.R. 985) … was reintroduced in the 111th Congress. Soon after this legislation was introduced in the 110th Congress (S. 2035; H.R. 2102), NACDL formed its Reporters' Shield Legislation Task Force to study the proposed law and ascertain the potential implications for the integrity and fairness of our criminal justice system. I write ... to explain our specific concerns with the language of the most recent versions and to articulate our view that any legislation of this nature not be used to undermine the criminal justice process.

NACDL President Cynthia Hujar Orr’s written statement to the U.S. Sentencing Commission regarding mandatory minimum sentencing in federal law and the value of case-specific discretion.

President Lisa Wayne's written statement to the U.S. Sentencing Commission regarding sentencing practices since the U.S. v. Booker decision.

U.S. v. Chapman 06-10316 (9th Cir.) Opinion Affirming Dismissal for Prosecutorial Misconduct