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| Release: | Immediate |
| Media Contact: | Tina Lanier |
| Phone: | 202/662-1792 |
| Email: | tlanier@staff.abanet.or |
| Online: | www.abanews.org |
Financial Bailout, Prosecution of White Collar Crime, and Recent Court and
Legislative Trends in Sentencing to be discussed at Upcoming ABA Meetings
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 15, 2008 – As the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and others probe and potentially seek criminal inquiries against those involved in the financial markets collapse, the American Bar Association will look to the future of white collar crime enforcement, especially in the context of recent Supreme Court cases and Sarbanes-Oxley, and how they may impact future prosecutions.
In addition, as more and more states look to drug courts and alternatives to incarceration in light of tightening budgets – which will likely only worsen given the economic crisis – a conference tract will review sentencing reductions in changed circumstances, diversion and the recently enacted Second Chance Act.
These issues and much more will be debated during the Sentencing Advocacy, Practice and Reform Institute on Oct. 24, to be held at The George Washington University, 800 21st St. N.W., Washington, D.C. The conference is sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section.
In addition, a town hall meeting, featuring governmental experts and practicing lawyers, will be held on Oct. 23 at the American Bar Association, 740 15th Street N.W., John Marshall Conference Room, 9th Floor.
Oct. 23:
Town Hall Meeting on the State of White Collar Crime
3:45 – 5:30 p.m. (reception to follow)
Will the financial crisis and economic bailout bill recently signed into law impact how the Department of Justice, FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission does business? Will there be a barrage of corporate fraud prosecutions similar to the post-Enron securities fraud cases? On other sentencing issues, how will the priorities of the Justice Department change with the new administration? The town hall meeting, with audience participation and questions, will look to these issues and more.
Oct. 24:
A full agenda for the Oct. 24 conference may be found at http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/calendar/2008fallconference.pdf. Highlights include:
The State of the Sentencing Union: Rates of Incarceration, Sentencing Trends, Racial Issues – A Brief Overview of Alternatives to Imprisonment and Recent Legislation
9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Panelists include Mathias H. Heck Jr., prosecuting attorney, Montgomery County, Dayton, Ohio;
Gene Guerrero, Open Society Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Marc Mauer, The Sentencing Project, Washington, D.C.
Update on Sentencing Law: Supreme Court, Appellate, Legislation
10:45 a.m. – noon
Michael Dreeben, deputy solicitor general, U.S. Department of Justice; Sara Sun Beale, professor, Duke University School of Law, Durham, N.C.; Judge Ruben Castillo, vice chair, U.S. Sentencing Commission; and Douglas Berman, Ohio State University College of Law, Columbus, will serve as panelists.
Alternatives to Imprisonments: Mediation, Diversion, Drug Courts
10:45 a.m. – noon
Lunch: Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Committee on the Judiciary, will present the keynote
12:30 – 1 p.m.
Sentencing in White Collar Crimes: Sarbanes-Oxley, a Five-Year Retrospective
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
David Nahmias, U.S. attorney, Northern District of Georgia and Michael H. Horowitz, commissioner, U.S. Sentencing Commission, will be among the speakers.
The Future of White Collar Crime Sentencing Practices: What Practitioners Need to Know
3 – 4:15 p.m.
How recent Supreme Court decisions may (or may not) lead to reform and how decisions may impact the Sentencing Guidelines, the Sentencing Commission, the Department of Justice, Congress and more will be addressed.
A Report and Update from the United State Sentencing Commission
4:15 – 5:30 p.m.
Panelists include U.S. Sentencing Commission commissioners.
The Second Chance Act and Reentry Issues: What Works to Reduce Recidivism
4:15 – 5:30 p.m.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.
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Note to Editors: Reporters wishing to cover the meeting should contact Tina Lanier for credentials at 202/662-1792 or tlanier@staff.abanet.org.
