May 19, 2020 - Bulletin No. 7
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Prosecutors' offices and court systems across the nation are being impacted by COVID-19. Their daily work to maintain constitutional justice is being uprooted, altered, and halted. CNA and NDAA have partnered to actively develop and disseminate useful COVID-19 response resources to prosecutors and courts to support them during this trying time. This weekly bulletin shares helpful information and resources, as well as upcoming virtual networking events.
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Registration Now Available
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Webinar: Conducting and Defending in Court a Pandemic-Era Forensic Interview
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments have been made to conducting in-person forensic interviews and, in some instances, tele-forensic interviews are being used. In this webinar, presenters will discuss modifications being made across the country to the forensic interview process and provide app
roaches to anticipate defense attacks to these forensic interviews. Presenters Rita Farrell and Victor Vieth of the Zero Abuse Project
will also offer practical guidance for defending these interviews in court. Please join us for this webinar on
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 1-2:30 PM EDT
.
Register for the webinar
here.
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Webinar:
Building a Culture of Best Practices in Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking
This webinar will educate the audience about national best practices in Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking. Three White Papers produced by the National District Attorneys Association Women’s Prosecution Section will be described. It is the goal of this webinar to begin a national conversation about prosecutorial programs that are trauma-informed, culturally competent, and victim-centered
.
Please join us for this webinar on
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT
.
Register for the webinar
here.
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Still a Priority – Prosecuting Technology-Facilitated Crimes Against Children During a Pandemic:
Q&A
On Monday, May 11, 2020, in partnership with the Zero Abuse Project, we hosted a webinar on prosecuting technology-facilitated crimes against children during a pandemic. During this event, we received a number of questions that we did not have time to answer. We have compiled those questions, along with other related resources, in this document. To view the full webinar, click
here.
Access the document
here
.
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Safe Workplaces: Guidance For State Agency Leaders in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
and Enhanced Safety Measures
As stay-at-home orders are being adjusted and lifted, many state agencies are approaching re-opening in a methodical way. This document, developed by the state of Virginia, provides guidance on how to maintain safety during this process.
Access the document
here.
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Podcast: Virtual Domestic Violence Contempt Trials
Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the NDAA, sat down with Christine A. Hoffman, the Acting Prosecutor of Gloucester County, New Jersey to discuss the
letter
she wrote disputing the Gloucester County court’s decision to conduct domestic violence contempt trials virtually.
Listen to the podcast
here.
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Innovative Responses
East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office released a document detailing their adaptation to the pandemic and has also launched a series of videos entitled "EBRDA From Home" to increase their ability to connect with the public. For more information click
here
and to view the videos, click
here.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Supreme Court announced a pilot program to reconvene grand juries virtually in two counties. For more information, click
here
.
Collin County, Texas
Collin County District Court held a summary jury trial on May 18th to test the capacity of the courts to conduct virtual jury trials regularly. Jurors heard a condensed version of the arguments and the verdict is non-binding. For more information, click
here
.
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Asked and Answered
How are various jurisdictions handling grand juries during the pandemic?
Some jurisdictions, such as
Bexar County, Texas
, never stopped convening their grand juries, while others have had to adapt to the current situation.
Chatham County, Georgia
has discussed shifting their
grand juries into two separate panels which would meet simultaneously.
In
New Jersey
, two counties will begin grand juries via Zoom. Some
Pennsylvania
counties are preparing for their grand juries to reconvene by prioritizing cases to be heard and establishing screening procedures.
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We want to hear from you! If you would like to submit questions or have other concerns, please email us at
covid19_courts@cna.org
.
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COVID-19-related news articles and resources, and past bulletins will be posted on the
NDAA website
. Continue to check the website for updated information.
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