Adjudication/Courts

    Webinar: Innovative Practices and Policies to Reduce Criminal Case Backlogs

    Join the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys on Wednesday, March 31 at 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET. This webinar, supported by the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge, will feature three jurisdictions using innovative approaches to reducing their backlogs during the pandemic, including updating policies, using pre-entry advocates, and continuing jury trials.

    Presenters:

    Webinar: Intake and Triage of CIU Review Applications

    Join the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys for their webinar “Intake and Triage of CIU Review Applications” on Wednesday, March 24 at 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET. Part of their Conviction Integrity Webinar Series, this webinar will focus on Dallas County’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). Cynthia Garza, who leads Dallas County’s CIU, will discuss reviewing applications and share lessons learned.

    This webinar is intended for prosecutors and allied professionals.

    Access Resources on Sixth Amendment Rights in Honor of National Public Defender Day

    March 18, 2021

    On March 18, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court granted that criminal defendants have the right to a state-appointed attorney if they are unable to afford one themselves. This Sixth Amendment right was found to be constitutionally justified for criminal defendants through the Fourteenth Amendment. Because of this landmark decision, March 18 marks National Public Defender Day.

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    NACDL Free Live Webinar: "Race + Criminal Legal System: Public Defense"

    Join the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) for their free, live webinar “Race + Criminal Legal System: Public Defense” on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 4:00–5:30 p.m. ET. NACDL is partnering with the Black Public Defender Association to examine the role of race in our nation’s public defense systems. This 90-minute moderated discussion will examine the roles of race, power, and engagement in the attorney-client relationship.

    Moderator: Travis County Chief Public Defender Adeola Ogunkeyede

    Access an Emergency Planning Guide for Court Officials

    March 12, 2021

    To help court officials develop an emergency preparedness plan, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), with support from the State Justice Institute, released an updated emergency planning guide titled “NCSC Courts Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guide and Template.” This planning guide is designed specifically for courts and outlines a step-by-step plan to address emergencies and natural dis

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    Second Look=Second Chance: The Case for Reconsidering Lengthy & Other Extreme Sentences

    Join the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) for their webinar “Second Look=Second Chance: The Case for Reconsidering Lengthy & Other Extreme Sentences” on March 11, 2021, 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will feature a discussion on “Second Look Sentencing,” an emerging legislative trend addressing mass incarceration. It seeks to reduce the number of people serving excessive sentences by reevaluating sentencing after an individual has served for a certain amount of time.

    Read the Report “Building the Research Base: An Evaluation Blueprint for Community Courts”

    February 16, 2021

    Community courts provide a flexible, tailored approach to justice in local communities. There are many diverse community courts ranging from peer-to-peer courts, mediation, restorative courts, and more. Some function on their own and some complement traditional courts. Their high adaptability, however, makes it hard to evaluate them.

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    Webinar: The Trials and Tribulations of Discovering Brady Violations During a CIU Review

    This webinar, hosted by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), is part of APA’s Conviction Integrity Webinar Series. Presenter Patricia Cummings from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office will discuss the work of Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) in Dallas and Philadelphia “where CIU prosecutors reviewed files and interviewed witnesses only to discover ‘material’ Brady information that had been suppressed for decades.” Cummings will discuss the challenges that came with pursuing these cases.

    The following questions provide context for the webinar:

    Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics - Panel Discussions

    The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Team is hosting the Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics Panel Discussions. The SAKI website currently hosts the Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics web page, which includes pre-recorded webinars and other training materials.

    Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics - Panel Discussions

    The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Team is hosting the Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics Panel Discussions. The SAKI website currently hosts the Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics web page, which includes pre-recorded webinars and other training materials.

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