May Final Friday's Webinar: A Prosecutor’s Duty to Disclose: Brady v. Maryland
4/30/13Please join us for May’s Final Friday’s webinar, A Prosecutor’s Duty to Disclose: Brady v. Maryland, to be held on Friday, May 31st from 3:00-4:00pm (EST). This month’s webinar kicks off a special two-part APA webinar series on Brady issues and will feature a presentation and discussion by Michelle Waymire of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, a regular ethics presenter at APA’s national training conferences, and Robert Hood, APA’s Director of the Community Prosecution & Violent Crime Division. Michelle and Robert will review and discuss Brady and its progeny, why these cases are important to prosecutors, and the issues and trends in recent cases. A follow up webinar later this summer will cover Brady lists and disclosure protocols, and the liability risks prosecutors face for failing to develop such policies. This training is open to all prosecutors, law enforcement, court personnel and other allied criminal justice partners.
APA is seeking one hour of “ethics” eligible CLE certification from the State of Virginia for each of these webinars. Please join us for this important and thought-provoking presentation. If you would like to download a flyer click here. **Please click HERE to register**
| U.S. Firearm Homicides on the Decline
4/29/13The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released encouraging data this week showing that firearm related homicides declined 39 percent from 1993 to 2011 and that non-fatal firearm crimes declined by 69 percent.
Prosecuting attorneys throughout the nation are encouraged by the report findings as they work alongside state, local and national law enforcement partners to reduce gun violence and create safer communities.
"Prosecutors are committed to reducing the level of gun violence in the communities in which we serve, and while these latest statistics are positive step in that direction, there is still a great deal of work ahead," said David LaBahn, President of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. "Law enforcement will continue to do our part to develop and implement innovative programs to further reduce gun violence."
Findings of the BJS report include:
• Firearm-related homicides declined 39%, from 18,253 in 1993 to 11,101 in 2011
• Nonfatal firearm crimes declined 69%, from 1.5 million victimizations in 1993 to 467,300 victimizations in 2011
• Firearm violence accounted for about 70% of all homicides and less than 10% of all nonfatal violent crime from 1993 to 2011
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys is working with non-profit organizations and with fellow law enforcement officials to develop violence reduction and prevention policies and programs to keep our communities safe.
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Legislation Aims to Strengthen Prosecution of Sexual Assaults in Military
5/17/13Days after the second sex crime scandal in the last month hit the military, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would take prosecution of sexual assaults in the military out of the chain of command, preventing military commanders from handling the cases of subordinates. “The issue of sexual violence is not new. It has been allowed to go in the shadows for far too long,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., the bill’s sponsor, said in a news conference Thursday. “Enough is enough. It’s time to change this system that has been held over since George Washington. That is simply not working today for the men and women who are serving.” “When any single victim of sexual assault is forced to salute her attacker, clearly our system is broken,” Gillibrand said. The bill would remove the prosecution of all crimes, including sexual assault, punishable by up to one year or more, from the chain of command and place them under the jurisdiction of military prosecutors. Survivors of sexual assault in the military have long advocated for such action because they believe the current system prevents some from reporting their assaults out of fear of retaliation.
ABC News
| Local Lawmakers Propose Legislation to Protect Prosecutors
5/17/13Although the recent killings of two prosecutors in Texas are at the forefront, State Senator Ted O'Brien says this legislation was on his agenda well before those murders. O'Brien was joined by Assemblyman Joe Morelle, a co-sponsor of the bill, and Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley in announcing the proposed legislation. O'Brien says the killings of Texas prosecutors heightened the awareness of the threats they face almost daily. "Those kinds of dangers are what prosecutors face all the time. They're putting behind bars the most heinous and violent criminals in our society. What this bill will do, if you're guilty of murdering a prosecutor, it'll be first degree murder," said Senator Ted O'Brien. The first degree murder charge for killing a prosecutor is similar to that for murdering a judge, policeman or other first responders. Morelle says attacks on prosecutors have doubled in the last decade. "Over my almost 22 years in the DA's office I've been threatened numerous times. Some of them include letters from inmates at the Department of Corrections, there have been other occasions where I've had members of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office come out to my house and set up surveillance."[More]
| San Diego District Attorney Talks Gang Prosecutions and Gang Trends in Latest Online Podcast
5/17/13San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis released a new online podcast today featuring information on the DA’s Gangs Division as part of a continuing series of short podcast recordings highlighting public safety topics. In the most recent podcast, Deputy District Attorney Dana Greisen joins DA Dumanis to discuss the uptick in gang-related homicides, how gangs are increasingly using pimping as a source of income, and an update on the number of documented gang members in San Diego County. “Gang members are responsible for violent crime across San Diego County and are increasingly funding their activities through human trafficking,” DA Dumanis said. “We have a dedicated team of prosecutors and investigators who specialize prosecuting gang crime, breaking up a gang’s structure, and stopping the cycle of gang violence in our communities.” The podcast has been posted to the DA’s website under the Newsroom & Videos tab. Listeners can choose from any of the podcasts, which are about five minutes in length.
Scoop San Diego
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