Renewed War on Drugs, harsher charging policies, stepped-up criminalization of immigrants — in the current climate, joining the NACDL is more important than ever. Members of NACDL help to support the only national organization working at all levels of government to ensure that the voice of the defense bar is heard.
Take a stand for a fair, rational, and humane criminal legal system
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NACDL is committed to enhancing the capacity of the criminal defense bar to safeguard fundamental constitutional rights.
NACDL harnesses the unique perspectives of NACDL members to advocate for policy and practice improvements in the criminal legal system.
NACDL envisions a society where all individuals receive fair, rational, and humane treatment within the criminal legal system.
NACDL’s mission is to serve as a leader, alongside diverse coalitions, in identifying and reforming flaws and inequities in the criminal legal system, and redressing systemic racism, and ensuring that its members and others in the criminal defense bar are fully equipped to serve all accused persons at the highest level.
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This training program will aid those working to defend persons accused of homicide in drug-related overdose deaths. Each section of the program focuses on a different aspect of these cases. CLE is not available for this program.
Michigan’s 1931 criminal abortion statute prohibits a person from performing an abortion unless necessary to preserve the life of the woman. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, the Michigan Supreme Court held the statute unconstitutional “as relating to abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy as authorized by the pregnant woman’s attending physician in the exercise of his medical judgment.”
For many years, Michigan’s public defense system was deficient, failing to guarantee the effective assistance of counsel required by the Sixth Amendment. Michigan delegated responsibility for providing public defense to individual counties, providing no statewide training for public defense attorneys, no performance standards to govern their practice, and no review of their performance. In 2008, after an extensive investigation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association issued a report that concluded that Michigan’s systems were some of the nation’s worst.
20th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference August 18-20, 2021 | Held Virtually
This session will focus on “Second Look Sentencing” reforms that seek to provide individuals with the opportunity for resentencing or a sentence reduction after they have served a certain amount of time in prison.
NACDL is providing resources regarding the Criminalization of Pregnancy and Reproductive Health to the criminal defense community. Resources are provided without warranty or guarantee. Please consult the laws and rules of your state and local authorities. Please log in to access them. Membership is NOT required.
NACDL is working with a coalition of advocates to end life without parole sentencing for youth in Michigan.
See the various issues on which NACDL has conducted criminal justice advocacy in Michigan. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see active legislation in Michigan that NACDL is tracking.
NACDL is working with a coalition of advocates in Michigan to draft and propose second look legislation in the state.
Resources for "Second Look = Second Chance: The Case for Reconsidering Lengthy & Other Extreme Sentences," a webinar that took place March 11th, 2021.
Policies and rulings on lengthy imprisonment terms in Michigan.
Information on the policy and history of recording custodial interrogations in Michigan.
Attorney-client communications federal caselaw and state-specific anecdotal data in Michigan
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.
State of Michigan in The Ionia County Circuit Court: People of The State of Michigan v. Gavitt Affidavit of John J. Lentini
State of Michigan in the Ionia County Circuit Court: People of the State of Michigan v. Gavitt Affidavit of Craig A. Balliet
