Jeffrey Zimmerman

Spectacular turnout for @NACDL 2026 Midwinter Seminar in New Orleans with the country’s top defense lawyers sharpening trial practice skills. #NACDLMidwinter

I enjoyed connecting with colleagues at the @NACDL event in DC honoring the legendary and inspiring Abbe Lowell with the Champion of Justice Award. “I became a lawyer to force the government to be on the straight and narrow.” Now more than ever.

@brandonous @Law360 "Federal criminal restitution often fails to benefit victims of crime & throws defendants into a 'Sisyphean struggle' ... according to a report released this week by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers." Read the report 👇 buff.ly/OL2yHNn

Civil asset #forfeiture has become a revenue tool for law enforcement, rather than a weapon primarily used against drug kingpins. It’s time to end #policingforprofit. jeffreyzimmerman.com/forfeiture-def…

In a recent 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of our position that defendants who were originally sentenced before the effective date of the First Step Act should still benefit from resentencing. This is a major victory for fairer sentencing.

Since we were founded by public defenders in 2017, we’ve ended mandatory jury sentencing, placed unprecedented limits on pretextual policing, capped probation terms & jail time for technical violations, and scores of other needed reforms. Today even more reforms become law. 1/8:

👏 Huge news from the Bureau of Prisons with the expansion of home confinement under the First Step Act and Second Chance Act. Home confinement helps provide second chances to those who have paid their debt to society and are ready to safely return to their communities.

Can’t wait to see everyone next week at @NACDL Forensics in Vegas!

Civil forfeiture is abusive. It is legalized larceny. And yet it's prevalent across the US. That's in part because a lot of people don't know it's happening. The first line of that news story helps explain why. Journalism shouldn't be PR for the state. khon2.com/local-news/nee…

BREAKING: A 5-3 Supreme Court *wiped out* Okla. inmate Richard E. Glossip’s conviction and death sentence and ordered a new trial after the state confessed that prosecutorial misconduct likely tainted his 2004 trial. (Glossip v. Oklahoma, 22-7466) #SCOTUS supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf…

This year @NACDL Forensics will be waay up north at the iconic (and recently renovated) Sahara. A whole new neighborhood for us. It’ll be fun! See everyone in two months! nacdl.org/Event/2025-For…

The system is designed to overpower criminal defense lawyers and our clients. You must have the courage to fail (which also makes our wins that much sweeter). There is dignity and value in the fight itself.

Looking forward to the 2025 @NACDL Forensic Science and Technology Conference in Las Vegas, with @Goodman_law @CalDefenseAtty and an All-Star roster of incredible criminal defense attorneys. Network, get CLE credit, and learn from the best!

DEA Ends Airport Gate Searches After Years of Documented Abuses of Civil Asset Forfeiture @reason buff.ly/3Wnd5qj

🚨 LANDMARK WIN for @IJ. 🚨 Nevada law prevents the Nevada Highway Patrol from seizing cash and handing it over to the federal government. What a win for Stephen Laura (whose life savings were stolen) & @benjaminafield, who argued the case.

It’s sad that this is now an annual tradition, but as we begin the 2025 legislative session, I offer the following challenge to the Va. Assoc. of Commonwealth’s Attys: justify your legislative proposals with evidence. Literally any of them. If you do, I’ll buy you a beer. 1/2

Yesterday, the DOJ suspended the DEA's controversial practice of having agents intercept airport travelers, interrogate them and insist on searching their bags. These encounters are *supposed* to be consensual but flyers often get the impression that they have no choice but to submit to a search. 🧵

A prosecutor in Minnesota has an op-ed saying that the @Netflix movie Rebel Ridge is "misleading" about how civil forfeiture works. But the movie is pretty close to reality considering that it's not a documentary. A 🧵 on some of the ways this is wrong: mlstargazette.com/opinion/movie-…

Criminal justice can be such a bleak and depressing topic, so it's especially welcome to see stories of success. As a former Salt Lake resident, I'm especially happy to see this story. Utah doesn't get enough attention for its criminal justice reform! newsfromthestates.com/article/one-ye…

Get the CLE credit you need and learn recent developments and best practices for federal sentencing mitigation and criminal forfeiture. Join me and a panel of experts in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 23, 2024! Registration information at the link. jeffreyzimmerman.com/news/sentencin…