Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

PRACDL "Tertulia Legal" - Sentenced in Two Jurisdictions

PRACDL will be hosting one of our regular tertulias on the topic  Sentenced in Two Jurisdictions - when sentences run concurrently and consecutively.

    Date     :    Thursday, June 5, 2008
    Time    :    4:30-6:00 p.m.
    Place    :    Judge García Gregory’s Courtrooom (#6)

Resources:    José Cordero, of FPD-PR, formerly of BOP
                    Jorge Rivera Ortíz, PRACDL
Moderator:    Linda Backiel

If you are interested in attending, please confirm via email at pracdl@gmail.com. The cost is free, as are the materials, although there will be no CLE credit for this one.

Legal Chat to Discuss Crack Resentencings in the District of Puerto Rico

This coming Friday, February 29, 2008 at 4:00 p.m., PRACDL and the Federal Public Defender's Office will co-host a conference to discuss the crack guidelines amendment and the retroactivity of same, as well as the District Court's Administrative Directive dealing with these. This will be held at the Federal Public Defender's Offices (4th Floor) and is open to all PRACDL members and Assistant Federal Public Defenders.

PRACDL and Sociedad para Asistencia Legal de Puerto Rico Co-sponsor Seminars

PRACDL and Sociedad para Asistencia Legal de Puerto Rico (SAL) will be co-sponsoring two seminars on Friday, December 7, 2007. See the flyer and registration sheet. The topics are Immigration Law Consequences of Delinquent Conduct on the Non-Citizen by Honorable Irma López-Defilló, Immigration Judge, and Crossroads: Clients Accused in Two Jurisdictions, a round table discussion with Félix Cifredo Cancel, Esq., Professor, U.P.R. Law School, Félix Alejandro Vélez, Esq., SAL, and Yasmín Irizarry, Esq., First Assistant Federal Public Defender - PR. The round table will be moderated by PRACDL Board Member and former SAL attorney Jason González-Delgado, Esq.

The Seminars will be held at Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico. Follow the instructions on the flyer for registration. For PRACDL and SAL members, there is no cost, but you must still register. For all others, the cost is $60 for each of the seminars.(*) Registration deadline is November 27, 2007. CLE accreditation for 6 credit hours (3 hours each) has been approved.

(*) If you become a PRACDL member, you will not have to pay for the seminars. Complete the PRACDL Membership Application Form and send it with your annual dues payment.

Federal Criminal Appellate Practice Writing Seminar

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the members of the court's CJA Education Committee will be holding a court-sponsored one-day writing seminar for both experienced brief writers and less seasoned criminal appellate practitioners on Friday, November 9, at the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, PR, from 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.  Here is the program, and the registration form. The registration deadline is Friday, October 26.

Chat with Judge Gertner on Sentencing Issues

PRACDL invites all defense attorneys to attend a chat with U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner on sentencing issues, on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 4:00 p.m., at the Chief Judge's Courtroom. This is a special treat you should not miss out on. There is no cost for attending. This will be followed by a cocktails at El Deli (cash bar).

PRACDL 4th Workshop and Annual Dinner Meeting - December 7th, 2006

PRACDL invites all criminal defense lawyers to it's Fourth 2006 Workshop on Thursday, December 7, 2006. This will be followed by our Annual Dinner Meeting. See the announcement here. The workshop topic is Grand Jury Practice.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

Following the workshop, we will hold our Annual Dinner Meeting (free, members only) at Café Al Fresco on O'Neill Street from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. (dinner and all drinks included for those two hours). We will also hold our elections to the new Board.  Note: We don't have to leave after 8:15 p.m., but do have to pay our own drinks. A jazz group will start to play about that time.  I look forward to seeing you all there.

PRACDL invites all criminal defense lawyers to it's Fourth 2006 Workshop on Thursday, December 7, 2006. This will be followed by our Annual Dinner Meeting. See the announcement here. The workshop topic is Grand Jury Practice.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

Following the workshop, we will hold our Annual Dinner Meeting (free, members only) at Café Al Fresco on O'Neill Street from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. (dinner and all drinks included for those two hours). We will also hold our elections to the new Board.  Note: We don't have to leave after 8:15 p.m., but do have to pay our own drinks. A jazz group will start to play about that time.  I look forward to seeing you all there.

PRACDL Workshop on Practical Applications of Daubert

PRACDL inbviutes all criminal defense lawyers to it's third 2006 workshop to be held on Wednesday, September 6, 2006. The topic is: Practical Applications of Daubert.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

PRACDL Workshop - June 1st

This is a reminder of PRACDL's second 2006 workshop  this coming Thursday, June 1, 2006, on Using Government Witnesses to the Defense Advantage.

    Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
    Place: U.S. District Court in Hato Rey, Courtroom of Senior Judge Pérez-Giménez
    Cost: Free to PRACDL members, and $25.00 for all other criminal defense lawyers.

In agreement with the Court's CJA Committee, CJA panel members who attend all four of the workshops will receive 1 of the 2 CLE credits required per year by the CJA Committee. No partial credits for attendance at less that all four workshops.

PRACDL Workshops

PRACDL will be holding a series of four workshops. The first - Getting Your Evidence Admitted & Dealing with Possible Objections to the Same -is scheduled for January 26th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and will be held at one of the Courtrooms at the U.S. District Court in San Juan. These workshops are free for PRACDL members, and the District Court's CJA Committee has agreed to grant 1 CLE credit (out of the 2 required per year of all CJA Panel members) to those who attend all four workshops. No partial CLE credits will be granted. You can access the flyer here.

Advanced Federal Criminal Appellate Practice Seminar

Advanced Federal Criminal Appellate Practice Seminar

• The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is sponsoring a one-day seminar, Advanced Federal Criminal Appellate Practice, at the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday, March 10, 2006.  Though similar in format to the basic program that was offered in 2003-2004, this program will be at an advanced level.  It is geared towards experienced attorneys and those who attended the basic program. 

• In November 2005 this seminar was held in Boston and will be held in Portland, Maine in May 2006.  The registration form and seminar program will be posted on the First Circuit web site at the end of January.