Retired U.S. Army General Wesley K. Clark, former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean, and Senators John Edwards (NC), John Kerry (MA) and Joseph Lieberman (CT) all responded by late December to a survey by the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) in which the candidates were
asked and answered the following questions:
Do you support the death penalty? Under what circumstances, if any, would you support a moratorium on death penalty cases on the federal and state level?
What is your position on the use of DNA evidence to determine the guilt or innocence of defendants after conviction, and how would you propose to fund such a plan?
Indigent defense systems are often underfunded and understaffed, and public defenders often have large caseloads and minimal contact with defendants, as a result. Do you see a role for the federal government to provide assistance to alleviate problems present in the state systems?
Do you support restoring greater discretion to judges in federal sentencing, or do you support the current trend? How would you resolve the inherent conflict between the federal sentencing guidelines scheme and the federal mandatory minimum sentencing scheme?
Which provisions of the USAPATRIOT Act would you like to see repealed or amended, if any, and why?