For Immediate Release
Sept. 17, 2024
As many as three dozen prosecutors from all parts of the state of Missouri will take part this week in a special three-day training in Kansas City led by Jackson County prosecutors, a rare instruction session focused on developing core skills in handling complex homicide trials.
This training, which opens tomorrow in the Downtown Jackson County Courthouse, was initiated by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
““We are proud to collaborate with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys on this essential training," said Nikki Parisi, appointed CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
"Complex homicide cases demand the highest level of skill and dedication, and this training provides a unique opportunity for Missouri's prosecutors to sharpen their trial techniques,” Parisi added. “By investing in this kind of hands-on, immersive training, we are strengthening the entire criminal justice system and ensuring that prosecutors are equipped to handle these complex cases with confidence and precision to ensure justice.”
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said she has encouraged many of her own prosecutors to participate. But many others from the office are helping to conduct the training.
“Jackson County prosecutors are some of the most experienced in the state due to the volume of crime they prosecute,” Baker said. “Providing the space, trainers and hard-earned expertise is our way to give back to the collective criminal justice system throughout Missouri. I hope that others may gain useful benefits from this training that they will take back to their own jurisdictions.”
Participants will come from many counties across the state of Missouri, including Clay, Platte, St. Louis, Boone, Jasper and St. Louis City. Veteran attorneys locally are lending their time to critique and advise the participants. Participating prosecutors will pursue at trial a fictional case developed from actual cases prosecuted in Jackson County.
“We are pleased to partner with the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in providing this opportunity for Missouri’s prosecutors to hone their skills in trying complex murder cases,” said Darrell Moore, Executive Director of the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
The training will give prosecutors an opportunity to improve their skills in areas such as opening and closing statements, as well as direct and cross examinations of witnesses. Inside courtrooms in the Jackson County Courthouse, 415 E. 12th St., these prosecutors will pursue their cases under the watchful guidance of veteran prosecutors. Expert witnesses, such as a forensic specialist and a police detective, will participate in those roles during these mock trials.
Media Advisory: Prosecutor Baker and a representative from the APA team helping to put on this training will be available for short interviews on Wednesday about this training. Video cameras will be allowed early Wednesday to shoot some B-roll of conference activities. But the training, otherwise, will be conducted privately. Please contact Michael Mansur (see below) about setting up such interviews.
For more information, contact:
Michael Mansur
Director of Communication
Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
Jean Peters Baker, Prosecutor
(816) 881-3812
(816) 674-3954
mmansur@jacksongov.org
https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com
About The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to support prosecutors in their efforts to create safer communities through a more just and equitable legal system. APA provides prosecutorial training and technical assistance for our membership, which is made up of all prosecutors, including elected and appointed prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and other criminal justice system actors. APA works across disciplines to increase public safety and the equitable pursuit of justice by providing prosecutors with the most effective and innovative resources and guidance to better serve everyone in their communities.