Capital Case Litigation Prosecution, Defense and Judicial Training

The purpose of the Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CCLI) is to provide high-quality training and technical assistance on death penalty issues to judges and attorneys who litigate death penalty cases. This program focuses on ensuring quality representation and reliable jury verdicts. The goals of CCLI are to increase the number of capital litigation attorneys trained in death penalty cases, and to ensure that defense counsel, prosecutors, and judges have the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available to them on death penalty litigation.

The Supreme Court of Arizona will utilize the 2008 CCLI funds to train Prosecutors and Public Defenders within Arizona on capital case management for a period of twenty-four months. This will address a backlog of capital cases in Arizona due to an increase in the number of new capital cases and the legal change entitling a defendant to a jury rather than a judge, which has lengthened the time required to try a case. The court's current rate will not keep pace with the amount of cases the grantee expects nor will it allow for a reduction in the number of cases already pending.

The Arizona Supreme Court expresses that their backlog is partly due to a lack of resources. Thus, they will use this award to build upon two previous training sessions. Trainings will be for both Prosecutors and Defense, and thus funds will equally serve both disciplines. As the trainings will build upon previous training sessions, these trainings will expand on capital case management and also be developed around specific areas of interest in Arizona. Thus, trainings may be led by the following subject matter experts: neuropsychologist, biologist, social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, as well as a defense lawyer, prosecuting lawyer, or a retired judge.

This grant will pay for a half-time specialist, whose duties will include developing the curriculum, arranging the faculty and training logistics, and overseeing the evaluation. Expenses for the logistics of the trainings will include consultants hired as faculty and their associated travel costs, rental of the site and audio/visual equipment, and production of training materials. This grant will also pay for the participants' expenses for attending the trainings, such as mileage reimbursement, per diem, hotel, and food and beverages at the training sites.

CA/NCF