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
Contact members of congress, sign petitions, and more
Help us continue our fight by donating to NFCJ
Help shape the future of the association
Join the dedicated and passionate team at NACDL
Increase brand exposure while building trust and credibility
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.
Showing 1 - 15 of 19 results
With an increasing number of police departments across the country turning to unregulated, untested, and flawed facial recognition technology to identify suspects, it is vital defenders understand the technology, its limitations, and how to challenge its use in their cases.
The attached document is a fact sheet on facial recognition. The primer briefly explains how the technology works, how it is used by law enforcement, why it is unreliable, and some potenital arguments for attorneys challenging it in their cases. If you are looking for more information, or assistance with facial recognition in a case, contact us at 4ac@nacdl.org.
Subject matter experts and litigators from NACDL’s Fourth Amendment Center explain and discuss some of the important digital technology issues that defense counsel will very likely encounter in these cases. The faculty focus on reverse searches, facial recognition, and device searches.
Police officers often rely on facial recognition searches as the primary piece of evidence tying a defendant to a crime, and thus defendants should be permitted to challenge the facial recognition search process. The limited case law on the discoverability, reliability, or admissibility of facial recognition is inconsistent at best. Based on the risk of misidentification, Clare Garvie suggests several steps defense counsel should consider pursuing in facial recognition cases.
NACDL's 19th Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference August 17-19, 2020 | Held Virtually When Robocop Becomes Reality: Confronting Technology in the Criminal Justice System
NACDL opposes the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement.
NACDL continues to oppose the use of face surveillance in California.
NACDL is working with partners to oppose efforts to expand the use of facial recognition technology in Virginia.
Coalition letter to the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate regarding proposed legislation to allow law enforcement to use facial recognition technology for criminal investigations.
Brief of Amici Curiae Electronic Privacy Information Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in support of Defendant-Appellant.
NACDL has engaged in legislative advocacy to stop the use of face surveillance technology in Massachusetts.
We write today to urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to quickly complete an updated Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Next Generation Identification System (NGI) as part of a broader effort to examine the goals and impact of NGI. The previous PIA on NGI’s face recognition component dates back to 2008. Since that time the program has undergone a radical transformation—one that raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns.
Fact sheet on California SB 1038, which would preserve existing civil rights protections against the use of biometric surveillance by law enforcement on officer-worn body cameras.
Letter to Senator Steven Bradford in support of SB 1038, which would ensure the continued state law protection of civil rights against the use of biometric surveillance by law enforcement on officer-worn body cameras.
Robert Williams is the first known person wrongfully arrested based on facial recognition technology. During the time he was accused of shoplifting, Mr. Williams was actually driving home from work and posting a video that eventually exonerated him.
