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    Washington Letter July 2014

     

    Criminal

    Collateral consequences constitute public safety issue

    ABA Criminal Justice Section Chair Mathias H. Heck Jr. emphasized in testimony last month that collateral consequences of conviction often are at odds with public safety when they work to prevent ex-offenders from finding employment and becoming productive citizens.

    Featured Articles

    Federal Government

    ABA says United States must not abandon principles of due process in rush to address border crisis

    When President Obama asked Congress June 30 for supplemental appropriations and additional legal authorities for the Department of Homeland Security to deal with the significant increase in the numbers of unaccompanied children entering the United States, the ABA raised concerns about a proposal that may change current law to expedite the removal of these children without appropriate due process protections.

    Legal Delivery

    LSC develops Grant Assurances for 2015 with only minor modification after comments

    The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has made only minor modifications in the Grant Assurances that the LSC will use when it enters into grants with LSC recipients in 2015. During an extended comment period on possible revisions to the Grant Assurances, ABA Governmental Affairs Director Thomas M. Susman expressed the ABA’s concerns June 20 about proposed changes to Grant Assurance #10 regarding government access to the records of LSC recipients. The ABA comments were prepared in coordination with the association’s Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants and the Center for Professional Responsibility.