Appellate Courts

NACDL and subgrantee APA worked to produce a webinar on the operation of a successful CIU and its collaboration with the defense. On Tuesday March 5, 2019 at 3:00 PM EST this webinar kicked off the planned Conviction Integrity Webinar Mini-Series. To better understand the issues and practices related to Conviction Integrity and Conviction Review Units, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Bureau of Justice Assistance presented a discussion of mechanics and obstacles of starting a conviction review unit and the results of a national survey of conviction review practices and units.

Center staff conducted a two day follow up site visit to Las Vegas Justice Court. Activities included court observations and stakeholder interviews.

A practitioner from NLADA and researcher from CCI conducted a three day site visit at the Oregon Office of Public Defense and Services. Activities included strategic planning sessions, observations of public meetings, and stakeholder interviews.

A practitioner and researcher from the Center conducted a three day site visit at the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office. Activities included stress point mapping, stakeholder interviews, and strategic planning.

APA has regularly scheduled check-in calls with BJA.

On April 25-16, APA held the first advisory committee meeting for the Capital Case Litigation Project. The day and half meeting brought together prosecutors and victims groups to discuss and identify the topics needed for training in the area of capital litigation.

This session will explore how tribal courts can work effectively and respectfully with members of the LGBTQ2S community. The webinar will provide a basic overview of terminology and will discuss some of the challenges that the LGBTQ2S community faces. The webinar will also provide some practical tips that courts can use when working with the LGBTQ2S community.

In Washington DC from 2009-2012, three men were exonerated in cases where three different FBI agents provided erroneous testimony regarding the hair comparison evidence that served as the primary physical evidence in those cases. Subsequently, the FBI and DOJ agreed to conduct a review of testimony in microscopic hair comparison analysis in collaboration with NACDL and the Innocence Project.

A recorded training video that provide analysis of the scientific limits of the discipline of microscopic hair comparison analysis including discussion of the scientific standards applied in the FBI's Microscopic Hair Comparison Analysis Review and application of those standards to identify cases with invalid scientific evidence.

NACDL will conduct an in-person, one-day training for at least 150 defense attorneys on litigating post-conviction claims of innocence. The goal of this training is to increase the ability of attorneys representing individuals in post-conviction proceedings to efficiently and effectively evaluate and litigate cases involving claims of innocence.