Table of Contents - American Bar Association

VIII. DIVISION/COMMITTEE REPORTS
DIVISION/COMMITTEE REPORTS
EQUAL JUSTICE DIVISION
Division Co‐Directors: Patricia Gatling and Ernestine Gray
Juvenile Justice Committee
Co‐Chairs: Charles Olgetree, Kathryn Richtman and Lawrence Wojcik
In addition to our meetings and programs we have a policy initiative each year that we take to
the CJS Council to be voted on and hopefully sent to the ABA House of Delegates. Last year our
policy focus was juvenile collateral consequences which did result in a successful policy passed
by the ABA House of Delegates. This year we are focusing on the Privatization of Punishment
within the juvenile justice system. If you are interested in seeing any of this work I would be
happy to send it to you.
Finally we also work on grant projects. Our Section and committee is batting close to 800 with
our grant submissions. Currently we are working on a gigantic collateral consequences grant
that will result in the first ever 50 state survey of juvenile collateral consequences, a website and
what we call “think about it cards” which are cards that advise juveniles of their rights before
taking a plea. We hope to work with state bars, juvenile judges, and public defenders to
disseminate these cards.
The committee continues to work on a grant that will result in the first ever 50 state surveys of
juvenile collateral consequences, a website, and “think about it cards” which will advise
juveniles of their rights before taking a plea.
Military Justice Committee
Co‐Chairs: Eugene Fidell and Stephen Saltzburg
The Military Justice Committee cosponsored, along with the National Institute of Military
Justice, the work of the Cox Commission II, an independent group chaired by former Chief
Judge of the Court of Appeals Walter Cox formed to examine the state of military justice and
make recommendations for improvement. The Commission issued its report in October 2010.
The Commission made seven important recommendations, which are set forth below:
1. Expand appeal to the Courts of Criminal Appeals and Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
(CAAF) to make appellate review a matter of right in every contested court‐martial.
2. Enact the Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2009, now pending in the House of
Representatives, to permit direct appeal to the Supreme Court by convicted service members,
regardless of whether CAAF grants certiorari.
3. Consider permitting accused service members to waive their right to appellate review in pretrial
agreements.
ABA Criminal Justice Section Annual Report 2009-2010 26