Washington, DC (March 17, 2022) - On March 13, 2022, the Palm Beach County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU-FL) awarded NACDL President Elect Nellie L. King the 2022 Harriette S. Glasner Award at its Annual Meeting. The Glasner Award is presented yearly in recognition of "Lifelong Devotion to Civil Liberties." King was bestowed the award for her dedication to improving the criminal legal system, fighting for the underserved and defenseless, advocating for open access to public records, and demanding law enforcement transparency and accountability. The award’s namesake, Harriette S. Glasner, helped found the first local chapter of Planned Parenthood in West Palm Beach, the first Unitarian Church in Palm Beach County, the Urban League of the Palm Beaches, and was a member of the ACLU since the 1920s. She was characterized as a "humanitarian who blended her devotion to justice with Palm Beach wealth to wipe segregation from the face of Palm Beach County." Past recipients of this award include Congressmen Harry Johnston and Alcee Hastings, Congresswoman and former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, anti-death penalty advocate Richard Greene, attorney William Holland, Palm Beach Post writer Frank Cerabino, and Palm Beach County Judges Edward Rogers, Rosemary Barkett, Paul Moyle, Barry Cohen, and Moses Baker.
In her acceptance speech, King spoke about her goals for her upcoming tenure as NACDL President and her work supporting access to public records. "One issue that I'm committed to addressing...as the incoming President of NACDL is police misconduct and abuses that also include prosecutorial misconduct," she said. "The power of law enforcement is immense, and their actions should be scrutinized to ensure this power is not abused. In order for citizens to gain confidence that the criminal legal system works for all people, initiatives which root out, expose, and punish racist law enforcement officers, as well as racist departments as a whole, must be undertaken. I see the issue as one of access and accountability. Transparency in policing is a good first step. The community cannot know if there is corruption without information."
King is the owner of The Law Offices of Nellie L. King, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, and practices criminal defense in state and federal courts around the country. She lectures frequently on criminal legal reform and Constitutional issues, and she supports a number of organizations, including the Innocence Project of Florida and NACDL’s Foundation for Criminal Justice. She is a Past President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) and the Palm Beach Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PBACDL). Prior to her nomination as President Elect of NACDL, King served several terms as a member of the Board of Directors. Her service to the organization also includes the Membership Committee (Chair), Representative to the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, CLE Co-Chair, Gala Committee, Women in Criminal Defense Committee, and the Budget Committee.
