News

Pennsylvania to Develop Statewide Education Program for Judges Who Try Death-Penalty Cases

November 03, 2005

HARRISBURG, November 4, 2005 — Pennsylvania is developing a statewide education program for trial court judges who hear capital murder cases that will be among the first of its kind in the nation. Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy announced today that Pennsylvania was selected as one of four pilot states for a program to be developed with the Nevada-based National Judicial College that will augment legal education specifically for judges who try defendants facing the death penalty. Pennsylvania will use the broad-based curriculum provided by the college to develop a customized statewide program for the Commonwealth. The initiative will be fully funded through a federal grant provided by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance. Justice Russell M. Nigro will spearhead the effort with assistance from Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge C. Darnell Jones II who is a faculty member of the college specializing in capital case education. The move is the latest in a series of actions advancing legal education for attorneys and jurists in areas of significant public concern here in the Commonwealth such as death-penalty cases and medical malpractice litigation. In November 2004, the court ordered mandatory legal education for attorneys in capital cases. The latest initiative focuses on enhancing already high continuing legal education standards for the state’s approximately 400 trial court jurists. Laying the foundation for the changes was the Capital Case Standards Committee, an advisory group the Supreme Court created in March 2003 to review legal representation issues in first-degree murder cases. Justices Nigro and J. Michael Eakin facilitated the work of the committee. “Justices Nigro and Eakin are to be commended for helping to develop an even stronger foundation of credibility for Pennsylvania’s court system in an area of law that some have questioned,” the chief justice said. “We are pleased to have this endeavor serve as a role model for the nation and as further fulfillment of my promise to the governor and legislature that we would enhance educational requirements for attorneys and judges.” AOPC’s Judicial Education Department will provide administrative and organizational support in delivering the curriculum in a timely and efficient manner through the Pennsylvania Conference of Trial Court Judges.