The Department of Defense announced today that they have charged and referred for trial five “high value” Guantanamo detainees, who are facing death penalty proceedings before military commissions. Yet death penalty-qualified civilian lawyers from the John Adams Project, a joint effort of the ACLU and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) remain entangled in bureaucratic red tape.

“NACDL’s capital defense teams are still awaiting the security clearances and final military approval they need before they will be allowed to deploy to Guantanamo,” said NACDL Executive Director Norman Reimer. “We need DOD to clear the decks of all bureaucratic hurdles so that that the accused will have access to the vital services to which all capital defendants are entitled under our system of government.”

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"50th Anniversary History Video,"--The Fabric of Liberty, To obtain a full version, please contact Cynthia Orr at: whitecollarlaw@gmail.com

"Defense Reform Needed for Poor,"-- Reno Gazette-Journal, May 4, 2008

"Public Defenders Are Feeling Distressed,"--ABC News Video, May 3, 2008

"Judge Mulls Public Defender Options: Report: State May Save Money by Creating Office,"--Burlington Times News, May 1, 2008

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