Category: News
As They March Peacefully, Protestors Should Remember They Have Rights
Protestors continue to march in the streets after unarmed black man George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police May 25, 2020. Video and reports from around the country say some demonstrations have unfortunately taken a violent turn, where police have physically engaged with dissenters, even here in San Antonio. According to the Express-News, protestors were…
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Criminal Murder Charges dropped in Schlitterbahn Waterslide Case where 10-year-old boy was decapitated during a ride at Kansas water park
It was shocking and tragic when Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated on August 17, 2016 on the Verruckt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. The waterslide was the highest in the world, measuring 17 stories tall. Schwab’s death led the attorney general to convene a grand jury, which led to one count of…
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Cynthia Orr Elected as Officer of the NACDL’s Foundation for Criminal Justice
Goldstein, Goldstein, Hilley and Orr are excited to announce that Cynthia Orr, one of our esteemed named partners, has been elected as an officer to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (NACDL) Foundation for Criminal Justice (NFCJ). Cynthia, who is also the Vice President for the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law…
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Acquittal for Businessman Indicted on Federal Bribery and Money Laundering Charges
Politics, unfortunately, can sometimes be a dirty business. We can never fully purge corruption from our political system and sometimes innocent people get caught up in the middle of unsavory political schemes for which they are neither aware of nor responsible for. Vernon “Trey” Farthing III, faced up to 25 years in prison for unknowingly…
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A Remembrance of My Partner: Van G. Hilley by: Gerry Goldstein
A Remembrance of My Partner: Van G. Hilley The essence of any successful partnership is trust and respect for one another. I can honestly attest that practicing law with Van Hilley was more a pleasure and a privilege than a profession. Day in and day out, for almost forty years, Van never failed to earn…
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Parole When Innocence Is Claimed
In the Room for Debate opinions page of the New York Times, criminal law experts and prison reform advocates tackle the issue of exoneration and innocence. The question put up for debate on November 13th is: “Should prisoners for whom there is substantial evidence of innocence be required to admit guilt to be granted parole?”…
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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Urges El Paso to Develop Independent Oversight Commission
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr penned a letter on behalf of the organization requesting El Paso, Texas, establish an independent oversight commission to uphold national public defense standards. The organization became interested in the issue because of El Paso County Public Defender Clara Hernandez’ potential dismissal from office, Orr stated in the…
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NACDL Pushes For Action in Peter Erlinder Arrest in Rwanda
Attorney Cynthia Orr, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President, is requesting urgent action be taken to protect criminal defense attorney and professor Peter Erlinder. According to the NACDL letter to the United Nations, Erlinder is being detained by the government of Rwanda. He is a defense attorney at the ICTR and a professor of Law at William Mitchell…
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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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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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