Adjudication/Courts

In October 2020, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, together with their partners Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, National Center for State Courts, and RTI International, launched the Strengthening the Sixth website (https://strengthenthesixth.org/). The website offers helpful information about the application of the Sixth Amendment along with various carefully curated resources.

Criminal justice professionals engaged in today’s national debate about criminal justice reform can learn from past efforts at collaboration. In 2019, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill saw a need for prosecutors and police chiefs to have candid conversations and really listen to each other when making policy decisions.

Webinar – Building a Successful Homicide Committee: Police-Prosecutor Collaboration in Jackson County, MO

Join the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for “Building a Successful Homicide Committee: Police-Prosecutor Collaboration in Jackson County, MO,” an hour-long webinar that is part of the Capital Case Litigation Initiative webinar series. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City Police Department have instituted a successful, collaborative homicide review process.

Webinar: Social Emotional Skill Development

Social and emotional development can be defined as a process through which individuals acquire skills to increase self-awareness, improve relationships with others, and achieve their goals. These skills are essential to succeed in family, school, workplaces, and communities and are increasingly recognized as important to one’s success in a variety of life outcomes. The benefits of social and emotional skill development can therefore be leveraged in tribal communities to maximize the protective impact of these skills against negative outcomes, including addiction. Attend this webinar to discuss the importance of social emotional skills (SES) among children, youth and adults and the buffering effect of SES on addiction and trauma. Examine strategies to support SES development. Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

  • Summarize how social emotional skill development occurs at various ages 
  • Explain the impact of SES on addiction and trauma 
  • Identify four specific strategies to support SES development

Due to the complexity of prosecuting sexual violence, a startlingly low number of cases ever make it to court let alone result in conviction. This disappointing reality can be self-perpetuating—victims do not bring charges, and law enforcement and prosecution do not pursue cases, especially if they do not seem winnable.

Webinar: Developing Effective Working Relationships with Victims and Offenders for Community Corrections Professionals

Evidence-based practices clearly demonstrate that the relationships professionals develop with their client is critical in supporting behavioral change. Creating a relationship that is supportive, empathetic, and accountable and that provides appropriate advocacy is foundational in the change process. Developing effective working relationships requires balancing empathy and boundaries with clear goals and an attention to resolving barriers.

Webinar: Comprehensive Approach to Offender Management

Gain an overview of the comprehensive approach to offender management. Discuss the fundamental principles of this approach including victim centeredness, public education, specialized knowledge and training, monitoring and evaluation, and collaboration. These fundamental principles will provide a guide for how offender management should be directed, what strategies should be implemented, and which stakeholders should be involved in these efforts.

The COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) recently introduced their COVID-19 Library of Resources, which is dedicated to informing law enforcement agencies of COVID-19 guidelines and officer safety policies. This resource will allow law enforcement agencies to share updated information regarding agency policies, standard operating processes, fact sheets, press releases, special orders, and training documents.

Pages