Blog Posts & Articles
NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said the Press is Vital to Criminal Justice System
As reported by the Champion, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ publication, organization president Cynthia Orr said the press plays a crucial role in the way the criminal justice system functions. Orr said the press, also known as the Fourth Estate, is needed because journalism can be used to expose governmental abuses of power, discuss…
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NACDL Discusses How Scientific Evidence Can Affect Criminal Cases
According to a report released by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, forensic evidence that is used in court often in based on speculative research, interpretations and quality control procedures. The NACDL is supporting reform efforts in the forensic science community, and organization president Cynthia Orr said crime labs throughout the country have uncovered hundreds…
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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said Sentencing Laws Should Change to Adapt to Circumstances
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr said sentencing should be aimed at achieving success and addressing crime, rather than a general sentence to serve as a punishment. In the President Column in The Champion, Orr tells the story of a San Antonio man who was convicted of armed robbery and received a sentence…
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NACDL and The Heritage Foundation Release Report About Criminal Intent Requirement in Federal Law
According to a report released by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and The Heritage Foundation, many of the criminal offenses Congress is enacting are flawed. A majority of enacted offenses fail to protect the innocent with adequate mens rea, or “guilty mind” requirements, and many of them are vague, far-reaching and imprecise, leaving lawyers…
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U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Ease Punishment for Crack Cocaine Possession
As reported by National Public Radio on March 23, 2010, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to lessen the punishment for possession of crack cocaine after decades of debates and lobbying. The current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, but the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to…
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Attorney Cynthia Orr Testifies on Behalf NACDL on Proposed Amendments to Sentencing Laws
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr testified on behalf of the organization on a variety of proposed amendments to the current sentencing laws. According to a statement from the organization, Orr told the U.S. Sentencing Commission the NACDL is committed to more individual sentencing in court, rather than a punishment that would apply…
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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said Politics Should Not Weaken Rule of Law
NACDL President Cynthia Orr said she is thankful lawyers from across the country defended Justice Department lawyers who formerly provided legal assistance to Guantanamo detainees and military commission defendants when they were being criticized. Orr said she was pleased to see lawyers defending the constitutional role of legal counsel in justice system. Lawyers who have chosen to work…
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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Discusses Brady Evidence
NACDL President Cynthia Orr said most civil lawyers believe criminal cases are tried after all evidence is disclosed to both parties in the case, but that is not always the truth. In the President’s Column in The Champion, the NACDL’s monthly publication, Orr explained the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure were recently amended to require broader…
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Attorney Cynthia Orr Responds to Judge Sharon Keller Case
As reported by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, attorney Cynthia Orr said she is pleased Chief Judge Sharon Keller was found to have acted in a poor manor when she refused an after-hour filing of a stay of execution. Orr, a San Antonio-based attorney, said in an NACDL statement, Keller’s words and actions suggest…
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Attorney Cynthia Orr Testifies on Behalf of NACDL Concerning Structure of Maryland Indigent Defense Oversight Commission
Cynthia Orr, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, testified on behalf of the organization urging Maryland to develop a truly independent oversight commission. Orr told the Maryland General Assembly the NACDL members think the state needed the oversight commission to uphold national public defense standards and to ensure essential indigent defense procedures. The…
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