OJS to Hold Second Training Session for Tribal Courts on DWI Cases May 1-3 in Flagstaff, Arizona

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the second of three training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court judges and prosecutors in dealing with driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) cases. The session, which will provide advanced training in DWI cases, is being held May 1-3 in Flagstaff, Ariz.

The training is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program, a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice that furthers the mandate of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. That legislation aims to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system. The program is the result of a collaborative effort by the OJS and the DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them.

The goal of this series is to teach effective prosecution of DWI cases under tribal codes and case law. Training will be conducted with faculty and instructional materials prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues.

The last training session in this series will be held Oct. 29-31, 2013, in Albuquerque, N.M. It will be preceded by a half-day roundtable discussion on Oct. 28 on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

2013 OJS DWI Training/Flagstaff – Page 2

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.