Statewide Trainings on Captial Case Litigation

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

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) will utilize the CCLI grant funds to train defense counsel and prosecutors. PCCD will work with the Defenders Association of Philadelphia (DAP) and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute (PDAI) on statewide capital case litigation trainings. The DAP will hold two programs for defense counsel, while the PDAI will conduct a three-day training for 65 Pennsylvania prosecutors. The PDAI will work to develop course paramaters.

The training for the DAP will include sessions that break into small groups for workshops where defense counsel can bring a case for discussion. The programs will focus on issues like mental health, culture investigation, family history, lead poisoning, child abuse, settlements, victim outreach, capital voir dire, and cognitive limitations. These trainings will be open first to defense teams (attorneys, fact investigators, and mitigation specialists) with current cases. After the trainings, defense teams will also be able to receive confidential follow-up training, assistance, and resource services.

CA/NCF