Due Process Institute

 The House of Representatives passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and included the E-mail Privacy Act. This is an important step towards updating our laws to reflect technological changes and respect the Fourth Amendment. The Due Process Institute signed a letter of support, directed at the Senate Armed Services Committee, to approve the NDAA's language that included the E-mail Privacy Act.  

Commenting on banks sharing customer information, our President Shana O'Toole explained:  “My concern with this program is what customer information is being shared... Efficiency is great, but constitutional protections are mandated.” 

Due Process Institute, in conjunction with NACDL, hosted a screening of Abacus: Small Enough to Jail at the E Street Cinema in Washington DC.  Afterwards, Shana O'Toole moderated a Q&A Session with members of the Sung Family and one of the documentary's producers, Mark Mitten.    

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards, the film centers on a small family-owned bank in New York City's Chinatown that was the only financial institution to face criminal charges following the subprime mortgage crisis. The documentary serves as an engrossing legal thriller, as well as a compelling portrait of the Chinese-American community in New York City as it intersects with a deeply flawed criminal legal system.

The Due Process Institute joined several other groups, notably the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, in comments favoring changes to Virginia's discovery rules that we believe will lead to a more just legal system.

Progress! H.R. 5682, the FIRST STEP Act passed the House 360-59, a resounding vote for reform. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Due Process Institute supports this legislation.