Mental Health Courts

In “Mitigating Mental Health Defenses,” First Assistant Ed McCann of the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Office explored various mental health defenses in capital cases and how prosecutors can counter them effectively. A career prosecutor who has been on the front lines of many high-profile cases, McCann provided webinar viewers with anecdotal insights and practical tools to take straight into trial.

The office of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney became a TTA site for FY'17 on January 23, 2017. The office intends to use the intensive training and technical assistance available under this grant program to develop a pre-filing, prosecutor-led diversion program focusing on felony property offenses committed by individuals who are drug and alcohol-involved or are mentally ill. The office also intends to explore the use of risks and needs assessment tools to assist decision-making about participant programming.

Deschutes County was approved to become a TTA site for FY'17. They requested TTA to further develop the array of diversion responses available to include individuals who are drug-involved or mentally ill and who are committing more serious felony drug offenses. They also hope to incorporate the use of a risk and needs assessment tool to guide programming decisions and develop an evaluation plan for their drug diversion programs.

JC staff delivered two presentations at GA's Accountability Courts Conference on Monday, September 15th and Tuesday, September 16th.