BWCs and the Accused

Policing Body Cameras:Policies and Procedures to Safeguard the Rights of the Accused

Source

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2017

Authors

Joel M. Schumm (Clinical Professor of Law, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law)

Cover image of the article which displays a body-worn camera recording
Source: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2017

To contribute to the important national debate about body cameras the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) then-President Theodore Simon established a working group in December 2014 and, in July 2015, the NACDL Board of Directors adopted a set of principles on body camera policies to direct future work of this Body Camera Task Force. In addition to reviewing multiple studies on body-worn cameras, the Task Force reviewed hundreds of pages of policy reports, articles, legislation, and department policies, and heard from sixteen witnesses representing a wide variety of perspectives, as listed in Appendix A.  This report adds a critical voice that has not previously been part of the discussion: the criminal defense bar committed to protecting the rights of the accused.

To read the entire report, click here.