Agenda

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C. 72

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	September 22, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Public Defender Forensic Evidence Training project

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 09/22/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

V. Tran, 925-335-1037

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: September 22, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Defender, or designee, to be the fiscal agent and act as co-sponsor of the DNA Forensic Evidence professional training event for state and federal public defense attorneys on October 29-30, 2015 at the University of California, Berkeley.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact.

BACKGROUND:

In cooperation with the Northern California District of the Federal Defenders Office and the University of California Berkeley School of Law, the Public Defender is co-sponsoring an intensive two-day training program for public agency defense attorneys designed to provide familiarity with DNA forensic analysis and report interpretation. This in-service training event will be available to the Deputy Public Defender's attorneys having current cases involving DNA evidence and defense attorneys from other public agencies throughout California. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit required for State Licensing will be awarded to the program participants, at the completion of the training.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

This training event is scheduled for October 29th and 30th, and attendance will be limited to eighty (80) participants. The training will cover issues relevant to criminal litigation, including: admissibility challenges, cross-examination of government experts and jury instructions, following a review of forensic fundamentals for DNA testing evidence (including: laboratory procedures, testing protocols, statistical significance and probabilistic genotyping).

This type of cooperative training event is an infrequent activity for the Office of the Public Defender, and is not normally included in its annual Budget.

Pursuant to Administrative Bulletin 104.1, the County Administrator's Office has reviewed and approved the Public Defender's request to be a fiscal agent and to act as co-sponsor of the DNA Forensic Evidence and recommends approval of this action by the the Board of Supervisors.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The Public Defender would not be able to co-host this event.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

N/A