Blog Posts & Articles
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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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said DWI Cases Should Be Treated More Seriously
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr said although drunk driving and DWI cases are seen as routine and insubstantial to some attorneys, they should be treated more seriously. In the President’s Column in The Champion, the NACDL’s monthly publication, Orr said DWI and drunk driving convictions often carry life-altering punishments, which can…
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NACDL Releases Report on Recommendations for Strengthening Forensic Science Evidence
As reported by The Champion, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers released a 12-page preliminary report advocating a change in the forensic science community with hopes of establishing a national resource center. NACDL President Cynthia Orr said cases often are broken on scientific evidence. Orr said crime labs throughout the country have uncovered hundreds of cases where mistakes…
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NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said Death Penalty Should No Longer Exist
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr said there is no longer a place in the criminal justice system for the death penalty. In the President Column in The Champion, the NACDL’s monthly publication, Orr said the death penalty has replaced lynching in modern society. Instead, today there is a trial that leads to…
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NACDL Supports Drug Court Programs, But Not Mandatory Guilty Plea
As reported by Newsweek, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers supports getting drug offenders into treatment and rehabilitation programs, but a guilty plea should not be a part of the program. Attorney Cynthia Orr, president of the organization, said the addiction is a public health problem and should be treated as such. Drug offenders, she…
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