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This month Cuauhtemoc Ortega reviews A Defender’s Guide to Federal Evidence: A Trial Practice Handbook for Criminal Defense Attorneys by Rene L. Valladares.
A thorough understanding of Crawford and Bruton issues is crucial for criminal defense lawyers. The Confrontation Clause area, however, can seem daunting and riddled with contradictory Supreme Court decisions. This presentation demystifies Crawford and Bruton and provides defense lawyers a clear and systematic method of tackling Confrontation Clause issues.
To combat questionable prosecution “expert” evidence, defense lawyers need to have a thorough understanding of Federal Rule of Evidence 702 and companion rules. This presentation provides practitioners with a framework for Article VII (Opinions and Expert Testimony) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, summarizes defense favorable cases, and presents arguments and tips on how to spot and avoid the most common ways the prosecution abuses expert testimony. This area is of vital importance now considering the recent amendments to Federal Rule of Evidence 702.
Rene Valladares and Hannah Nelson provide a framework for character evidence, an overview of the exceptions and nuances to the general prohibition of character evidence, and an understanding of how the pertinent evidence rules interact with one another.
Important amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence came into effect on December 1, 2023: Amendments to Rule 106 (rule of completeness), 605 (exclusion of witnesses) and 702 (testimony by experts). These amendments will bring significant opportunities and challenges for defense lawyers.
Amicus Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Tenth Circuit Federal Defenders for the Districts of Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah in Support of the Appellant’s Petition for Rehearing En Banc
Rule 17 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides the only means for a criminal defendant to obtain materials from third parties. Despite its broad language, the courts’ application of Rule 17 over the years has seriously limited its usefulness. Marci LaBranche and Carey Bell discuss problems with how the rule has been applied, the current state of Rule 17(c) practice, and how to make a record that encourages change.
Powerpoint slides by Wendy Bach and Stephen Ross Johnson. Presented at the NACDL Post-Dobbs Defender Skills Summit in July 2023
Presented by Rene Valladares, Federal Public Defender for the District of Nevada
The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Objections with Rene Valladares
The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Hearsay Part II presented by Rene Valladares
The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Hearsay Part I presented by Rene Valladares
Presented by Rene Valladares, Federal Public Defender, District of Nevada
The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Character Evidence and Impeachment Part II presented by Rene Valladares
The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Character Evidence and Impeachment Part I presented by Rene Valladares