Criminal Law and Policy News and Events for the University of Arizona Community

Rosemarie Valdez, "Operation Streamline"

November 6, 2019

12:00 - 1:15 pm

Room 168

PCLP and the Justice Advocates Coalition (JAC) are excited to host Rosemarie Valdez, a criminal defense attorney and 1996 alumna of the James E. Rogers College of Law. Ms. Valdez will discuss her experience representing defendants processed through Operation Streamline, the process of en masse prosecutions for unauthorized entry and re-entry into the United States where defendants are charged, counseled by an attorney on whether to accept a plea, and sentenced in the same day. Ms. Valdez has experience in civil, criminal, and tribal law. She has practiced as a federal criminal defense attorney for over 20 years, first in her role as an Assistant Federal Public Defender and later as a sole practitioner appointed to represent indigent defendants in federal court. Ms. Valdez represents an average of five clients in Operation Streamline on a weekly basis. 

This event will be held in room 168.  Pizza will be served at noon.

Christina Poletti, christinapoletti@email.arizona.edu 

Ryan Hammond, ryanhammond@email.arizona.edu

**CLE Events**

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement.  This activity may qualify for up to 1.0 hours toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona. CLE certificates are available at the presentation.

Elizabeth Ortiz, Executive Director, APAAC. “The Pursuit of Justice: Overcoming Human Bias”

October 30, 2019

12:00-1:15 PM

Room 168

Prosecutors hold the unique position of “ministers of justice” in our criminal justice system. As such, they have an ethical duty to seek justice and to treat all parties—from the defendants to victims—fairly. But prosecutors are human, and thus are susceptible to the influences of both implicit and confirmation bias. This training will focus on how bias may impact a prosecutor’s case assessments and will provide guidance on how to focus case analysis to overcome potential bias.  

Ms. Ortiz has a Bachelor of Science in Economics, a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Juris Doctor. After graduating from law school, she clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals. She then joined the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted cases for sixteen years. During that time, Ms. Ortiz served as a Bureau Chief in Juvenile, Pretrial, Charging, and Appeals. In 2009, Ms. Ortiz joined the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) as the Senior Staff Attorney and was subsequently named Executive Director. In addition to her APAAC duties, Ms. Ortiz is a sworn special prosecutor in several Arizona counties and continues to carry a criminal caseload. 

This event will be held in room 168.  Pizza will be served at noon.

Christina Poletti, christinapoletti@email.arizona.edu 

Ryan Hammond, ryanhammond@email.arizona.edu

 

**CLE Events**

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement.  This activity may qualify for up to 1.0 hours toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona. CLE certificates are available at the presentation.

Natalie Pacitto. "Mental Health in Jails"

October 23, 2019

12:00 - 1:15 pm

Room 168

PCLP is excited to host Natalie Pacitto, the Director of Mental Health at the Pima County Adult Detention Center, to discuss mental health in jails. She will speak about statistics of people with mental health concerns in jails, suicide risks and prevention for incarcerated individuals, challenges of providing treatment in jails, and much more.

Natalie has a Master's Degree in Counseling and is licensed as a counselor in Arizona and as both a counselor and a psychologist in Michigan. She is also a certified corrections instructor and continues to teach new corrections officers back at her home in Michigan, as well as here in Tucson. We look forward to engaging in this discussion with Natalie and hearing about the integral work that she does for incarcerated people here in Tucson.

The event will be held in room 168.  Pizza will be served at noon.

Christina Poletti, christinapoletti@email.arizona.edu 

Ryan Hammond, ryanhammond@email.arizona.edu

**CLE Events**

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement.  This activity may qualify for up to 1.0 hours toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona. CLE certificates are available at the presentation.

Hon. Rosemary Marquez, "ICAN Diversion Program"

October 16, 2019

12:00 - 1:15 pm

Room 168

PCLP is excited to host The Honorable Rosemary Marquez, who has spent over a year serving on a committee to develop the Incarceration and Conviction Alternatives Network (ICAN) post-guilty plea diversion program that is new to the Tucson division of the District of Arizona.

Judge Marquez is a University of Arizona undergraduate and law school alumna who worked in criminal defense prior to being appointed as a federal judge. Please join Judge Marquez for a presentation and a question and answer session on the implementation of this program.

The event will be held in room 168.  Pizza will be served at noon.

Christina Poletti, christinapoletti@email.arizona.edu 

Ryan Hammond, ryanhammond@email.arizona.edu

**CLE Events**

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement.  This activity may qualify for up to 1.0 hours toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona. CLE certificates are available at the presentation.