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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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Parental alienation is a pathological dynamic in which one parent strives to sever a child’s relationship with the other parent. For example, in a contentious custody battle, allegations of abuse can be initiated by a child at the behest of an alienating parent. Evidence of parental alienation is central to establishing a motive for the child’s allegations. How can defense counsel uncover parental alienation in a criminal case?
What challenges face a defense attorney in a case involving a sex offense? What is the public’s perception of someone who, after serving time for a sex crime, is ready to return to the community? Richard Jones, a defense attorney in Wisconsin, discusses these questions with Quintin Chatman, editor of The Champion. Jones talks about the difficulties and the hurdles involved in sex offender cases, and he reveals his three primary goals for each client.
The goal of trying to put an end to child sex offenses is one on which everyone can agree. The best way to meet that goal, however, is debatable. Individuals that children know are responsible for 90% of sex crimes against them. Alix Deschamp discusses the origins of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and shows how the original legislation developed into not only a law enforcement tool but also a punitive measure.
Cases alleging child sex abuse often hinge on the forensic interview of the alleged victim, and thus the forensic interview should be the first place defense counsel looks. In this article, a forensic psychologist and a criminal defense lawyer discuss the forensic interview and how failure to follow best practices may encourage false allegations and elicit misinformation.
Comments to the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs SMART Office regarding sex offender registration and community notification.
Report of the Sex Offender Policy Task Force reflecting NACDL's policy on sex offender registries and other practices as adopted by the Board of Directors.
Guide for Child Porn Cases - There are common issues with child pornography cases that can be dealt with to make the case go more smoothly for you and your client.
President John Wesley Hall and NACDL Sex Offender Policy Task Force chair Michael Iacopino's letter to the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security regarding the difficulties of state compliance and other concerns with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (H.R. 4472).
Explore law and sentencing issues in the child pornography context.
Amicus curiae brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
