California District Attorneys Association

CDAA's Wednesday Webinar series continues today w/ " Avoiding Questionable Misconduct on Direct and Cross." Instructors Ivy Fitzpatrick and Rob Hightower will educate #prosecutors on #misconduct minefields and how to elicit #evidence without running afoul of the law. Visit cdaa.org for more on Wednesday Webinars and how prosecutor offices can purchase a subscription.

The rights of those victimized by crime should be the priority of all public prosecutors. The California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) has grave concerns that some of the policies and directives by the elected District Attorney of Los Angeles violate the state’s constitutional protections of crime victims. After a request by the Association of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles County (ADDA) to review the directives of the elected District Attorney, the ethics ...committee of CDAA has responded with an open letter at https://bit.ly/3i3dTuW. As a result of the findings, CDAA is compelled to support the pending lawsuit filed by the ADDA and will be filing an amicus brief later this month in accordance with local superior court procedures. The District Attorney does not possess the legal power to dispense with his deputies’ constitutional and statutory obligations to crime victims or the duty of candor by imposing a mandate to read a script, said CDAA president Vern Pierson.

Join CDAA and countless agencies and organizations in condemning #humantrafficking. https://www.wjhl.com//california-groups-outline-efforts-t/ #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay

Join instructor Wendy Patrick for "Exposing Dangerous Criminals Who Commit Nonviolent Crimes," a Master Academy class on how to bring threat assessment skills from the conference room to the courtroom and expose the true colors of violent criminals who commit non-violent crime. This #distancelearning course starts at 12 noon today, but registration closes at 11 a.m. So hurry to cdaa.org to register.

Statement of California District Attorneys Association President Vern Pierson: Similar to many of the riots we saw earlier this year that began as peaceful protests, the violent mob that entered the U.S. Capitol building yesterday represents an attack on our most venerable and cherished institutions. The violence we have witnessed from these mobs should be a calling to all of us. A calling to fortify against this attack on the rule of law. A calling to come together as a nati...on to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. On January 27, 1838, a 28-year-old Abraham Lincoln gave a speech describing America’s greatest danger: the mobcratic spirit. This speech is known as the Lyceum Address. In words that ring far too familiar today, he said, I hope I am over wary; but there is, even now, something of ill-omen amongst us. I mean the increasing disregard for law which pervades the country; the growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions in lieu of the sober judgement of courts; and the worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice . He warned that if the laws be continually despised and disregarded, if their rights to be secure in their persons and property are held by no better tenure than the caprice of the mob than this government cannot last. I have spent my entire 30-year career in law enforcement, as a deputy district attorney, a deputy attorney general, and since 2006 as the elected district attorney of El Dorado County. It saddens me to see the rule of law get weaker and weaker every day. As a member of law enforcement, a veteran, a grandfather, father, husband, and as an American, I strongly condemn the attack on the U.S. Capitol. As President of the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA), I call on all of us in law enforcement and, frankly, to all citizens, to support the rule of law and assist federal, state, and local law enforcement in maintaining order, supporting the constitutional right to peaceful protests, and seeking ways to reduce the disregard for law that seems to pervade our country. Author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell wrote, The first person who throws the rock is a lot more radical than the hundredth person. By the time the riot has attracted a hundred people, you don’t have to be nearly as much a daredevil or a hothead or committed to any of those things to want to engage in a riot. It seems that as a society, throwing that rock has become more and more common, and thus easier and easier. We see it on social media chat pages, in the media, and even amongst lifelong friends. The anger is rising, the passion is intensifying, the rock throwing has become harder, and more dangerous. I end this message as President Lincoln ended the Lyceum Address: There is no grievance that is fit object of redress by mob law.

Join CDAA today for another #distancelearning class, this time on vacatur laws, and helping victims of #humantrafficking rebuild their lives and clear their convictions. The affirmative defense will be discussed as well as the vacatur process. The class starts at 11 a.m., and registration closes at 10 a.m., so hurry and visit cdaa.org for more info and to register!

Today's #distancelearning session is part 2 of a two-part series on #discovery. Today's session will cover commonly recurring issues as well as cutting-edge discovery issues with a focus on statutory discovery obligations. Visit cdaa.org to register by Noon. The 2.5-hour course starts at 1 p.m.

District Attorneys in Ventura, Sacramento, San Diego and Alameda counties are partnering to help victims of #domesticviolence. https://keyt.com//california-district-attorneys-combine-f/

Congratulations to Mike Galli, whose contributions to CDAA Publications were mentioned in this article. https://www.thepress.net//article_c97fcb22-33ee-579b-bbd2-

Today's #distancelearning session is a two-part series that will explore all aspects of fentanyl prosecution. Part 1 starts at 9 a.m. and Part 2 is at Noon. You must register for both classes separately. For more info, visit cdaa.org. Hurry, registration for Part 1 closes at 8 a.m.!

CDAA's Master Academy is holding a special training on basic felony sentencing at 10 a.m. today. The three-hour (with a break) #distancelearning session is designed for prosecutors with limited experience with #felony sentencing experience. Visit cdaa.org for more info and to register!

Please join us TONIGHT at 5:30 p.m. for this special, FREE Town Hall meeting, discussing what it's like being a Black prosecutor in these times. https://zoom.us/j/96229377956 (link not active until the event) #BlackLawyers #RealTalk

Prosecutors who are unaware of their constitutional, statutory, and ethical discovery obligations are always at risk of serious allegations of misconduct. Join California’s leading experts for a two-part series of some of the most pressing and topical discovery issues facing prosecutors. Part 1 begins TODAY at 1 p.m. and features a panel that will tackle discovery issues with peace officer personnel records in light of the latest legislation and case law. Visit CDAA.org for more info and to register! #distancelearning #discovery

Don't forget this important event tomorrow! See below for the link to attend!

Don't miss either our Wednesday Webinar class today sexual #assault statutes of limitation, or the Master Academy training on - #evidence: laying foundation & authenticating exhibits and authenticating business records. Visit cdaa.org to register! #distancelearning

Join CDAA today for "Managing the Live Line-Up Process," learn how to assist in the creation and administration of a live line-up. The course will include a list of before, during, and after procedures, a segment on traps and pitfalls with live lineups, defense attorney participation, and a review of newly enacted Penal Code Section 859.7, which governs identification procedures in California. Visit cdaa.org to sign up for this #distancelearning session. Registration closes at 1 p.m. today, the course starts at 2 p.m.

What is it like to be a Black prosecutor in California in this current environment? Given much of the attention focused on issues of race in California, what are the motivations that brought Black lawyers to prosecution offices in the first place? What do these outstanding attorneys expect from their own prosecution offices? Join us on Thursday, October 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to hear several prosecutors from Northern California discuss these questions and more in an open... forum. These dynamic and experienced members of the criminal justice system will discuss their deep commitment to their communities, address concerns with the criminal justice system, and talk about how they continue to impact justice in California. https://zoom.us/j/96229377956 (link not active until the event) #BlackLawyers #RealTalk

CDAA's 4-day virtual Fraud Symposium starts today! The seminar runs from Oct. 13-16 & is designed for prosecutors, investigators, and paralegals working in the real estate and #insurance #fraud arenas. Visit http://cdaa.org for more info and to register!