The North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers had their Annual Meeting on June 23, 2013. At the meeting, the board holds their officer elections, and O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss is excited to announce that Partner, Tatum O’Brien Lindbo was elected the organization’s President.
What is the North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers?
The organization was created in 2010 to provide a community of North Dakota state and federal public defenders and private criminal defense attorneys in order to learn from one another and act as a whole on issues that are common to all criminal defense attorneys.
Since its creation, the organization has a mission to promote justice and due process for those accused of crime within the state of North Dakota; foster integrity, independence and expertise of the criminal defense profession within the state of North Dakota and promote the proper and fair administration of criminal justice within the State of North Dakota.
This last year, the organization did a lot of work with the new DUI legislation and the theft gradation laws in North Dakota.
Tatum’s New Role
Tatum is the first female president of the North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her expertise and passion are a great combination for the position.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to lead this amazing group of individuals with a depth of knowledge and wealth of experience that spans the entire State of North Dakota,” says Tatum.
What do they do?
The North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have five main objectives and purposes, which include:
- Promoting research and study in the field of criminal defense law, procedure and constitutional law.
- Disseminating by lecture, seminars and publications such theories, technologies and techniques that support or promote the field of criminal dense advocacy.
- Sponsoring periodic meetings of the criminal defense bar; to provide a forum for the exchange of information regarding the administration of criminal justice; and thereby to protect individual rights and improve the practice and procedures of criminal law.
- Representing the Association before the legislative executive and judicial bodies which determine policy for the state and federal governments in a manner that promotes the mission of the Association and its objectives and purposes.
- Preserving, protecting and defending the adversary system of justice and the Constitution, especially recognition and adherence to the Bill of Rights by the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches of government.
