Prosecutors

In any criminal trial, the prosecution represents the state.

Prosecutors also decide which persons to charge with which crimes based on the available evidence. The prosecution and the defense are poised as opponents in the courtroom, but prosecutors have a substantial role in upholding defendants’ Sixth Amendment rights and working with the defense to ensure pretrial justice and early access to counsel.

What do I need to do to accomplish my role?

An understanding of and commitment to best practices for prosecutors
Reflection on your own actions that help or hinder delivery of Sixth Amendment rights
A willingness to learn from successful projects and model programs in other jurisdictions

How might I be hindering justice?

Not providing defendants with proper notice of the charges against them
Overcharging defendants to gain leverage in plea negotiations
Overcharging defendants to trigger certain procedural changes, e.g., transfer to a different court that provides an automatic right to counsel
Not disclosing evidence to the defense through discovery

Tools for Learning

LEARNING MODULE

HBO’s ‘Gideon’s Army’ Looks At Three Defenders Of The Poor

TOOLKIT

The big problem with how we pick juries

VIDEO

A prosecutor’s vision for a better justice system

CALENDAR

Protecting the Sixth Amendment: Upcoming Events

News

Black Public Defender Association’s Position on Cash Bail

From slogans to solutions? Pritzker proposes ending cash bail, no-knock warrants and other criminal justice reforms

A Smarter Approach To Measuring Prosecutorial Success

55 Ways to Measure How Good Prosecutors Really Are

California Voters To Review Criminal Justice, Bail Reforms

Get Involved

No matter what your role is, you can be a part of the movement to Strengthen the Sixth and ensure fair trials and accurate verdicts for every community.

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Technical Assistance

If you would like more information on how to get assistances in your community, describe your problem/request here and we will be in touch to respond to your inquiry.

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OREGON

TTA Recipient : City of Eugene, Oregon Municipal Court

Type of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) : On Demand

Area of Focus : Provide expertise to determine appropriate compensation methodology for municipal indigent defense contracts and consider the feasibility of creating a municipal public defender office. Support recommendations of the State’s 2019 report on trial level public defense, as applicable to municipalities prosecuting criminal charges.

TTA Recipient : Oregon State Legislature

Type of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) : On Demand

Area of Focus : Provide expert assistance in how other states implement oversight and supervisory structures to ensure both financial accountability and effective assistance of counsel in all courts statewide.

TTA Recipient : Oregon Office of Public Defender Services

Type of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) : Strategic Planning

Area of Focus : Support OPDS’s implementation of recommendations in the January 2019 report, “Evaluation of Trial Level Public Defense Representation Provided Through the Office of Public Defense Services,” prepared by 6AC. Assist OPDS in planning how best to structure data collection efforts, both in the short-term until a new case management system is implemented, and after the new system is in place.