An ongoing interactive webinar series regularly hosted by NACDL member Mark Satawa of Satawa Law, PLLC, NACDL Senior Resource Counsel Vanessa Antoun, and NACDL Resource Counsel Johnna Carey-Park. Every Wednesday at 2 pm ET. On this page, you can register for the series, volunteer as faculty, submit feedback, and watch past videos!

This page contains materials and information related to arson.

Arson & Junk Science with Marc Fennell

The Antitrust Division's Corporate Leniency Policy: A Deal is a Deal

In the latest editions of its interrogation manual, Reid and Associates adopted several positions that align with the views of its critics. In a nutshell, Reid and Associates directly or indirectly endorsed many measures that could help prevent false confessions. Defense attorneys seeking to suppress confessions can strengthen their arguments by noting when law enforcement officers ignore any of the recommendations in the Reid manual.

In December 2020, NACDL released model legislation and an accompanying report discussing “second look” legislation. The proposed legislation is a fully developed draft bill for consideration by the states.

The Bridgegate Scandal, as Kelly v. United States grew to be called, spawned from political power, greed and revenge, and resulted in the deterioration of public trust. The actions of the defendants, however, were not criminal.

An indictment must inform a defendant of the charge that he must defend. A jury instruction that digresses from the elements of the charged statute constructively amends the indictment. Such constructive amendment violates the Fifth Amendment’s grand jury clause. Defense counsel must scrutinize the jury instructions and object to any deviations.

This month Patrick J. Boylan reviews Not a Crime to Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America by Peter Edelman.

Resources, Rules and Moral Responsibility: The Role of the Attorney Post-Release

After individuals have been exonerated for crimes they did not commit, few states provide them with immediate support services to aid their transition upon release. “When you walk out it’s basically sink or swim,” said one exoneree who was in prison for 17 years. “I was on my own to figure it out.”

With a new administration taking office and congressional calls for abolition, society will again ask itself whether there is a place for the death penalty consistent with our values. There is not.

Alibi Defenses with Lisa Steele [Engage & Exchange Discussion Series]

Navigating the federal criminal justice system’s policies, procedures, and practices can feel insurmountable. From pre-trial through post-sentencing and on to pre-release, a web of “program statements” and institutional practices guide the Federal Bureau of Prisons in making decisions relating to confinement and release. This guide is designed to help ease some of those challenges. Each section highlights obstacles confinement poses and offers resources and strategies to overcome these barriers. Prepared by the NACDL Corrections and Public Defense Committees. [Released March 2021]