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Criminal Justice Section

Index of Criminal Justice Section Policy Initiatives

The following is an alphabetical index of policy initiatives that have either been sponsored or co-sponsored by the Section, as well as some additional policies that pertain to the criminal justice system. Covering from Midyear 1990 through the present, the policy index and database will be updated twice a year, after each Midyear Meeting and Annual Meeting.

To view a policy on a particular subject matter, scroll down the alphabetical listing below (or use the alphabet links to skip to the desired letter) and click on the corresponding meeting and resolution number to the right.  [Note:  Clicking on any link below takes the reader to the specific policy in a document that is arranged chronologically by date of the meeting at which the policy was adopted or the resolution withdrawn.  Once in the document, the reader can scroll backward to find earlier policies or forward to find later ones.]  

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M -

N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Index Key
AM = Annual Meeting (Example: "AM 98-105A" indicates resolution
         105A was approved at the 1998 ABA Annual Meeting)

MY = Midyear Meeting (Example: "MY 00-115" indicates resolution
         115 was approved at the 2000 ABA Midyear Meeting)

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ABA Criminal Justice Standards (see approved "black letter" Standards)
           Appellate Review of Sentences MY 93 - 108A
           Collateral Sanctions and Discretionary Disqualification of Convicted Persons AM03 - 101A
           Defense Function MY 91 - 104D
           Discovery & Procedure Before Trial AM 94-101A
           Electronic Surveillance: Private Communications MY 01-103A
           Electronic Surveillance: Technologically-Assisted
           Physical Surveillance
AM 98-112A
           Fair Trial Free Press MY 91 - 104C
           Guilty Pleas AM 97 - 100C
           Pretrial Release MY 02 - 101A
           Prosecution Function MY 92 - 101A
           Prosecutorial Investigations MY 08 - 105D
           Providing Defense Services AM 90 - 101B
           Sentencing Alternatives & Procedures MY 93 - 108A
           Special Functions of the Trial Judge MY 99 - 116B
           Speedy Trial AM 04 - 111G
           Trial by Jury AM 93 - 101A
ABA Criminal Justice Standards Approval Procedures AM 91 - 105A
Abortion MY 90 - 106C
Administrative summonses MY 91 - 104E
Admission to practice law MY 08 - 112
Affirmative action (see Discrimination)  
Alternatives to incarceration AM 04 - 1121A
Appellate courts, ABA Standards on
(see also ABA Criminal Justice Standards)
AM 94 - 102
Asset Forfeiture MY 91 - 104A; MY 96 - 113A
Attorney (contracting or retaining) MY 94 - 102
Attorney-client privilege MY 02 - 101C
           Financial Audit AM 06 - 302A
          Inadvertent disclosure AM 06 - 120D
Audiotape, interrogations MY 04 - 008A
Bail AM 98 - 112D
Bank Secrecy Act AM 90 - 101A
Bias (See Discrimination)  
Biological evidence AM 00 - 115; AM 06 - 107
Blueprint (for corrections) AM 02 - 107
Cameras in courtrooms (see ABA Standards:
Fair Trial Free Press)
 
           Experimentation with Cameras in
           federal civil proceedings
MY 95 - 106
Capital punishment (see Death Penalty)  
Child Abuse and neglect AM 95 - 116B; MY 96 - 112A
Child witness testimony (NCCUSL) MY 03 - 113C
Children (with parents in correctional custody) AM 96 - 104B
Civil/criminal concurrent proceedings MY 93 - 108B
Collateral consequences of convictions MY 07 - 103E
Collateral Sanctions AM 04 - 121D
Collateral Sanctions - Standards AM 03 - 101A
Commission on Effective Community Sanctions MY 07 - 103A; MY 07 - 103B;
MY 07 - 103C; MY 07 - 103D;
MY 07 - 103E; MY 07 - 103F
Community Corrections - Model Adult Community
Corrections Act
MY 92 - 101D
Community service programs AM 93 - 10G
Compassionate release AM 96 - 109
Compensation for the erroneously convicted MY 05 - 108A
Confessions AM 04 - 111F
Congressional committee AM 96 - 104A
Constitution as supreme law of the land MY 03 - 112
Continuing Legal Education re racial, ethnic, gender,
disabilities bias
MY 04 - 110
Coordinating councils MY 90 - 100B
Correctional accreditation AM 93 - 101C
Correctional commission (national) AM 99 - 133C
Corrections MY 90 - 100B
           Accreditation AM 93 - 101C
           Adult community corrections act AM 91 - 105B
           Community supervision MY 07 - 103A
           Compassionate release AM 96 - 109
           Correctional Education MY 90 - 115C
           Elderly offenders MY 00 - 102B
           Legislation AM 95 - 120B
           Literacy MY 92 - 101C
           Military prisons AM 90 - 102
           National Commission on AM 99 - 133C; MY 00 - 102B
           Parents in correctional custody AM 96 - 104B
           Prison and jail impact statements MY 90 - 115A
           Prison and jail privatization MY 90 - 115B
           Work MY 02 - 101B
Counsel at bail AM 98 - 112D
Court accomodations for disabled MY 02 - 112
Court delay MY 90 - 100B
Court-martial MY 93 - 107A; AM 93 - 100;
AM 96 - 101A
; MY 97 - 100;
AM 01 - 10A; AM 06 - 116
Court Organization (ABA Standards Relating to) MY 90 - 100D; MY 04 - 113A
Courts, problem-solving AM 01 - 101A
Crack Cocaine AM 95 - 129
Crime laboratories AM 04 - 111B
Crime victims (see Victims)  
Criminal history records  
           Employment MY 07 - 103C
           Non-law enforcement purposes MY 07 - 103D
Criminal Justice Act AM 98 - 112E; BOG 4/01
Criminal Justice Racial and Ethnic Task Forces AM 04 - 121B
Criminal Justice Standards (See ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Custodial interrogations (videotaping/audiotaping) MY 04 - 8A
Death penalty  
          ABA Guidelines for defense counsel MY 03 - 107
          CJ Standards DFS 4-1.2(c); PDS 5-6.1
          Litigation of MY 90 - 115E
          Native Americans AM 91 - 117B
          Mental disability/disorder AM 06 - 122A
          Moratorium MY 97 - 107
Death penalty, military AM 96 - 101B; AM 01 - 10A
Defense (see Indigent Defense)  
Defense standards (in serious non-capital cases) MY 05 - 108C
Defense standards (in serious non-capital cases) MY 05 - 108C
Detention standards (DHE, ICE) MY 08 - 111B
Disclosure, exculpatory or mitigating evidence MY 08 - 105B
Discovery MY 08 - 110A
Discovery & Procedure Before Trial (see ABA
Standards on...)
AM 94 - 101A
Discretion MY 07 - 103F
Discretionary disqualification AM 04 - 121D
Discrimination and non-discrimination  
          ABA Officers, membership in discriminatory clubs BOG 11/93
          Attorney conduct AM 95 - 116C
          CLE re MY 04 - 110
          Court Systems MY 90 - 100E
          Federal judicial system AM 91 - 10D
          Gays/lesbians AM 96 - 10A
          Model rules AM 98 - 117
          Traffic stops AM 99 - 10A
Diversion AM 04 - 121A
          Youth status offenses AM 07 - 104C
Diversity MY 95 - 111
DNA evidence AM 06 - 107
Domestic Electronic Surveillance for National Security Purposes MY 06 - 302
Domestic violence  
          Adolescents AM 00 - 111
          Child victims AM 96 - 113
          Clemency MY 07 - 102A
          Conduct of judges and lawyers AM 96 - 120
          Education AM 03 - 120
          Full faith and credit AM 96 - 100
          Housing discrimination MY 03 - 106B
          Multidisciplinary community-based programs AM 95 - 126
          Relations with perpetrator AM 06 - 110
          Restatement of 1978 policy MY 97 - 114
          Standards for attorneys AM 06 - 109
          Training judges MY 96 - 108
          Uniform Interstate Enforcement of D.V. Protection
          Orders Act
MY 02 - 106F
           MY 03 - 113E
          Visitation AM 00 - 109A
Domestic Violence courts (see problem-solving courts)  
DNA Evidence AM 00 - 115; AM 06 - 107
Drug court standards AM 01 - 101A
Drug courts (see Problem-solving courts)  
Drugs MY 90 - 8C
          Anti-Drug Abuse Amendment. etc. MY 90 - 101B
          Bar programs AM 91 - 10F
           AM 93 - 10G
          Crack, powder cocaine sentences AM 95 - 129
          Diversion MY 94 - 100
          Drug recognition program MY 90 - 100A
          Marijuana MY 90 - 126
          Needle exchange programs AM 97 - 106B
          Pretrial testing MY 94 - 8
          Problem-solving courts AM 01 - 117
          Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, creation
          of
AM 95 - 11-11
Dual jurisdiction youth MY 08 - 300
Elder abuse AM 96 - 102; MY 08 - 105A
Electronic filing MY 04 - 113A
Electronic information, discovery of MY 08 - 110A
Electronic Surveillance (See ABA Crimininal Justice Standards on)  
Employer cooperation (in prosecution) AM 06 - 302B
Enemy combatants MY 03 - 109; AM 03 - 301
Elderly prisoners MY00 - 102B
Equal opportunity (see Discrimination)  
Ethics (see Rule...)  
Ethics in Government Act (see Independent counsel)  
Ethnic AM 04 - 121B
Evidence MY 95 - 107A
Evidence, DNA AM 00 - 115; AM 06 - 107
Evidence, exculpatory or mitigating AM 04 - 111F; MY 08 - 105B
Evidence, preservation AM 04 - 111F
Executive clemency AM 04 - 121C
Eyewitness identification AM 04 - 111C
Fair trial and free press (see also ABA Criminal Justice Standards on)  
          Model rules AM 94 - 100
Family Unity Demonstration Project MY 00 - 102A
Family violence (see Domestic violence)  
Federal prosecutorial agencies AM 96 - 104A
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure MY 92 - 101E; MY 97 - 107B
          Rule 29 (mid-trial acquittals and double jeopardy) MY 07 - 301
Federal Rules of Evidence MY 95 - 107A
Federalization AM 99 - 113A
Financial exploitations MY 08 - 105A
Firearms  
          Assault weapons AM 93 - 101
          Firearm safety AM 91 - 110A
          National agenda to address culture of violence AM 94 - 10E
          Property rights to exclude MY 07 - 107
          Reaffirms ABA gun policies MY 94 - 8D
          Tort liability of firearm industry AM 01 - 10B
          Tort relief for gun victims MY 96 - 8
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) MY 03 - 118
Forensic evidence AM 04 - 111B
Funding for justice system AM 91 - 101; MY 92 - 122A
Funding for prosecutors AM 04 - 111F
Government lawyers AM 99 - 112
Guilty pleas (See ABA Criminal Justice Standards) AM 97 - 100C
Guns (see Firearms)  
HIV AM 97 - 106B
Homeless  
           defendants/court programs MY 03 - 116; AM 06 - 108A
           person AM 06 - 108A; MY 07- 106
Identification AM 04 - 111C; AM 04 - 111F
Identity theft MY 08 - 102B
Illiteracy (see Corrections, correctional education)  
Immigration, civil MY 04 - 105
Immigration, criminal MY 04 - 105
Immigration, fees and benefits MY 08 - 111B
Impact statements (see Justice system, Judicial, Prison, Jail)  
Incarceration AM 04 - 121A
Independent counsel AM 93 - 101B; MY 99 - 116A
Indigent defendants MY 91 - 103; AM 98 - 112D;
AM 98 - 112E; BOG 4/01
           Ten Principles of Public Defender Defense Delivery
           System
MY 02 - 107
Informants (jailhouse) MY 05 - 108B
Inhalent abuse AM 95 - 106
Innocence, prosecutorial disclosure MY 08 - 105B
Innocence Committee recommendations  
           Compensation AM 05 - 108A
           Crime laboratories AM 04 - 111B
           Defense counsel in serious non-capital cases MY 05 - 108C
           Eyewitness identification AM 04 - 111C
           Jailhouse informants MY 05 - 108B
           Prosecutors AM 04 - 111F
Insurance, alcohol, drug AM 06 - 109
International business corruption MY 95 - 117A
International criminal court AM 92 - 111; AM 94 - 114C;
MY 98 - 118B; MY 01 - 103C
MY 01 - 105C; AM 06 - 120B
International criminal jurisdiction MY 04 - 103A
International Human Rights AM 94 - 114D
Interpreters MY 02 - 112
Interrogation AM 99 - 113D; MY 04 - 8A
Interrogations, custodial (videotaping/audiotaping) MY 04 - 8A
Jails  
           Coordinating councils/crowded jails MY 90 - 100B
           Impact statements MY 90 - 115A
Judicial appointments MY 95 - 113A
Judicial conduct, model code MY 07 - 200
Judicial discretion in sentencing AM 04 - 121A
Judicial impact statements AM 91 - 302
Judicial independence AM 03 - 103; AM 07 - 110D
Judicial review MY 03 - 112
Judiciary, fair and impartial MY 07 - 10B; MY 07 - 10B
Justice system impact statements MY 92 - 10F
Juvenile (see also Youthful offenders) MY 08 - 105C
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act MY 92 - 101B; AM 95 - 120A; MY 08 - 300
Juveniles in adult system (See Youth in the Criminal Justice System)  
Kennedy Commission  
           Racial, ethnic bias AM 04 - 121B
           Reduction in sentencing AM 04 - 121C
           Sentencing AM 04 - 121A
           Supervision of prisoners AM 04 - 121D
Law student loan repayment and "forgiveness" AM 03 - 113
Legislative oversight AM 96 - 104A
Line-ups AM 04 - 111C
Loan forgiveness AM 03 - 113
Mandatory minimum sentences AM 04 - 121A
Marijuana (see Drugs)  
Mediation AM 00 - 109B
           Uniform Mediation Act MY 02 - 106G
Medical examiner's office AM 04 - 111B
Megatrials AM 91 - 10A
Mental/emotional illness/disorders in juvenile/criminal justice systems MY 04 - 116
Mental health courts (see Problem-solving courts)  
Military (see Court-martial; Death penalty, military; Corrections)  
Military commission trials AM 03 - 301
Military Order MY 02 - 8C
Military, waiver of bar obligations AM 07 - 115
Miranda AM 99 - 113D
Mitigation, youthful offenders MY 08 - 105C
Model Rules (See Rules of Professional Conduct)  
Money Laundering AM 90 - 101B; MY 02 - 101C;
MY 03 - 104
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL)  
           Child Abduction Prevention Act MY 07 - 105B
           Child Witness Testimony MY 03 - 113C
           Electronic information, discovery of MY 08 - 110A
           Interstate Enforcement of D.V. Protection Orders Act MY 02 - 106F
National detention standards (DHE, ICE) MY 08 - 111B
National Endowment of the Arts AM 90 - 10H
Needle exchange AM 97 - 106B
Office for Improvements in the Administration of Justice MY 92 - 122A
Pakistan: support for bar and bench MY 08 - 10D
Pardon AM 04 - 121C
Parents (in custody) AM 96 -104B
Parenting skill AM 96 -104B
Parole MY 97 - 108
Parole, youthful offenders MY 08 - 105C
Patriot Act AM 03 -112B
Photo spreads AM 04 - 111C
Physical Surveillance (See ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Pleas of Guilty Standards (see ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Political considerations, government attorneys AM07 - 10C
Pregnancy MY 90 -106C
Presidential signing statements AM 06 - 304
Pretrial drug testing MY 94 - 8
Pretrial Release Standards (see ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Prison impact statement MY 90 -115A
Prisoners (also see Corrections)  
          Elderly prisoners MY 00 -102B
          Legal rights and grievances MY 07 - 102B
          Literacy MY 92 -101C
          Medicaid, social security AM 07 - 122
          PLRA MY 07 - 102B
          Rights of (see also Legal Status of Prisoners Standards) AM 95 -120B
          Supervision of, AM 04 - 121D
          Terminally ill AM 96 - 109
Pro bono legal services MY 07 - 10C
Probation MY 97 - 108
Probation/parole sanctions MY 07 - 103B
Problem-solving courts  
          Drug, community, mental health, family AM 01 - 117
          Drug courts MY 94 - 100
          Family AM 94 - 10C
Professionalism AM 95 - 113
Profiling, ethnic and racial AM 04 - 121B
Prosecution Function Standards (see ABA Criminal Justice
Standards)
 
Prosecutorial Investigations Standards (see ABA Criminal Justice
Standards)
 
Prosecutor funding AM 04 - 111F
Prosecutor, responsibilities & obligations (see also Rule 3.8) AM 94 - 100
Prosecutor, Special (see Independent Counsel)  
Prosecutor workload AM 04 - 111F
Prosecutorial agencies AM 96 -104A
Providing Defense Services (see ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Racial AM 04 - 121B
Racial/ethnic disparities in treatment of youth in justice system AM 03 -101B
Re-entry AM 04 - 121D
Release (from incarceration) AM 96 - 109; MY 97 - 108;
AM 99 -113C
Relief from Automatic Deportation for Minor Criminal Conviction MY 06 - 300
Represented persons (see also Rule 4.2)  
Rule of law MY 03 - 112; AM 07 - 110A
Rules of Professional Conduct MY 02 - 401
          Rule 3.6 (Trial publicity) AM 94 - 100
          Rule 3.8 (Special responsibilities of a prosecutor) MY 90 - 118; AM 94 - 100;
AM 95 - 101; MY 08 - 105B
          Rule 4.2 (Communications with person represented
          by counsel)
MY 90 - 301; AM 95 - 100;
AM 99 -122B
          Rule 5.5 MY 02 - 401
          Rule 8.4 (Misconduct; discriminatory acts) MY 98 -107A; AM 98 - 117
          Rule 8.5 MY 02 - 401
Sanctions, alternative MY 97 - 108
School discipline MY 01 -103B
School violence MY 04 - 109
Science, technology and judicial decision-making MY 94 - 106
Sentence reduction or modification MY 03 -103B
Sentences, collateral MY 03 -103A; AM 03 -101A
Sentencing AM 04 - 121A; MY 05 - 301
          Youthful offenders MY 08 - 105C
Sentencing Alternatives & Procedures (See ABA Criminal
Justice Standards)
MY 93 -108A
Sentencing Commission AM 95 - 104; AM 95 - 129
Sentencing guidelines MY 92 - 102
Sentencing, reduction, modification AM 04 - 121C
Sentencing Reform Act MY 05 - 301
Special Functions of the Trial Judge Standards MY 99 -116B
Specialization MY 92 - 10A; AM 93 - 300
Speedy Trial AM 04 - 111G
State Justice Institute MY 02 - 301
States secrets privilege AM 07 - 116A
Status offenders AM 07 - 104C
Subpoenas of attorneys MY 90 - 118
Substance abuse (see drugs)  
Summons MY 91 -104E; MY 95 -107B
Supervised release MY 97 - 108
Surveillance (see ABA Criminal Justice Standards)  
Surveillance (foreign) MY 03 - 118
Task Force on Criminal and Civil Justice System MY 90 - 8D
Technologically-assisted Physical Surveillance
(See ABA Criminal Justice Standards)
 
Terminally ill prisoners MY 96 - 113B; AM 96 - 109
Terrorism (see also Military Order) MY 02 - 104; MY 03 - 104;
MY 03 - 109; AM 03 - 112B;
AM 03 - 117
Traffic stops AM 99 - 10A
Trafficking in persons AM 07 - 110C
Training professionals re discretion MY 07 - 103F
Treatment alternatives AM 04 - 121A
Trial by Jury Standards (see ABA Criminal Justice
Standards)
AM 93 - 101A
Trial Court Standards (ABA) MY 92 - 100
Trial Court Standards (see Drugs, AM 01)  
Trial judge MY 99 -116B
Trial Management Standards (ABA) MY 92 - 104
Trial publicity (see also ABA CJ Fair Trial/Free
Press Standards)
AM 94 - 100
Unified family courts AM 94 - 10C
Uniform acts (see Nat. Conf. of Commissioners
on Unif. State Laws (NCCUSL)
 
United National Convention on Rights of
the Child
MY 94 - 103
Universal criminal jurisdiction MY 04 - 103A
Unpublished opinions AM 01 - 115
U.S. Attorneys AM 07 - 10C
U.S. Sentencing Commission AM 04 - 121A
Veteran benefits MY 08 - 108
Victim/offender mediation AM 94 - 101B
Victims  
          Compensation, Uniform Code of Military Justice MY 93 - 107B
          Elderly MY 08 - 105A
          Gun-violence victims MY 96 - 8
          Identity theft MY 08 - 102B
          Mediation/dialogue with offenders AM 94 - 101B
          Statutory protection of rights AM 97 - 100A
          Uniform Victims of Crime Act MY 93 - 108C
Videotaping of crime suspects MY 04 - 8A
Violence, school MY 04 - 109
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 MY 00 -102A
Witness interviews AM 04 - 111C
Workplace violence AM 98 - 110
Youth at risk AM 06 - 10A; MY 07 - 114
          Dual jurisdiction MY 08 - 300
Youth courts AM 95 - 116A
Youth in the criminal justice system MY 02 - 101D
Youth, racial/ethnic disparate treatment in justice system AM 03 - 101B
Youthful offenders  
          Sentencing MY 08 - 105C
Zero tolerance in schools MY 01 - 103B

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