Legal Commentary

Three Groups File Sup. Ct. Briefs in Support of Joe Nacchio

By Jeralyn

Three groups have now filed amicus briefs in the Supreme Court supporting former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio's cert petition for review of his insider trading conviction.

Here is the brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (pdf). The issues alone tell you why Nacchio's conviction has ramifications for all defendants:

• The Tenth Circuit’s Decision Effectively Eliminates Rule 16 And Forces Criminal Defendants To Comply With The Civil Expert Discovery Rules

• The Tenth Circuit’s Decision Is Inconsistent With Criminal Defendants’ Constitutional Rights And The Integrity Of The Criminal Judicial Process

• The Tenth Circuit’s Decision Makes It Less Likely That Juries Will Have Access To Essential Expert Opinion Testimony In Complex Criminal Cases

The other groups are the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Legal Foundation.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on April 27, 2009 (boomark / email).