A great offer from Arizona

One student has indicated that her white paper will focus on Arizona, and perhaps others are still ruminating about their jurisdiction.  Consequently, I was very pleased to get this kind e-mail from a new friend in Arizona (who authorized this posting):

Professor:  My name is Jim Belanger.  I am a partner and the Director of the White Collar Criminal Defense Group at Lewis and Roca in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been doing death penalty work since 1991.  Your blog is excellent, among other things because it is useful.

In your class on the DP you are having students write white papers on the DP in certain states.  Arizona would be an extremely interesting jurisdiction to study, particularly with what is going on right now in Maricopa County.  For what appears to be gross but thinly thought-out political purpose, the recently elected Maricopa County Attorney has increased the noticing of capital cases quantumfold, to the point that he has personally fomented a crisis in the ability to defend these cases. 

Arizona has a long history with capital punishment, including its abolition in 1912.  It also recently became the first state to adopt mandatory adherence to the ABA Guidelines for defense counsel performance in Capital cases.  These isues are all coming to a head right now, and certainly will do so during the course of your semester.  If one of your students wants to do his or her paper on Arizona, I am available to help.

Thanks. jjb

Jim Belanger, Lewis and Roca LLP