December 2014

Multinational Attorney General Exchange Addresses Transnational Cybercrime

Cybercrime Forum at Florida AGO

On December 4-5, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi hosted an Attorneys General Exchange, featuring a forum on transnational cybercrime with attorneys general and top prosecutors from El Salvador and Mexico, as well as representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Attorney General Bondi was joined by her U.S. attorney general counterparts Lawrence Wasden of Idaho, Sean Reyes of Utah, Tim Fox of Montana and Greg Zoeller of Indiana; and Mexican Attorneys General Carlos Zamarripa of Guanajuato,  Adonai Carreon of Baja California Sur, and Carlos Navarro of Sonora. The El Salvador AG's Office was represented by General Secretary Benjamin Pleites.

 

The group discussed multi-jurisdictional investigations of complex computer crimes, human trafficking, forensic and technical investigations of cyber offenses and credit card fraud.

Oral Trial Forums Held in Mexico City, Guanajuato

Mock Trial in Mexico City

 

On November 3rd, a Forum on Oral Trials was held in Mexico City. 1,045 participants were in attendance, joined by an online audience via internet broadcast technology. After an inauguration ceremony featuring speakers from the Mexico City Attorney General's Office, the Federal Attorney General's Office, the Technical Secretariat of the Council for the Coordination of the Implementation of the Criminal Justice System, and 

the Federal Police, the morning session featured presentations by US trial attorneys about the stages of the oral trial, focusing on concrete aspects of form and technique as well as strategy and legal theory. The afternoon session featured a simulated trial created by the Instituto de Formaci�n Profesional of the Distrito Federal Attorney General's Office.

 

On November 5th, in the auditorium of the Attorney General's Office in Guanajuato, GTO, 409 participants from more than 30 different cities and communities of the region celebrated another Forum on Oral Trials. Participants came from the AGO, judicial branch, public defender's office, and municipal and state police. In addition, an online audience was able to participate via internet. The morning featured experienced US prosecutors and litigators discussing various aspects of oral trials, and the afternoon featured personnel from the AGO as participants in a simulated oral trial that highlights best practices in oral litigation. Video of the event is available online here.

Guanajuato Mock Trial Participants

 

 

Interdisciplinary Exchange
Colorado - San Luis Potosi

 

16 prosecutors, investigators and forensic scientists from Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Yucatan visited Denver, Colorado, from November 10 - 14, for an Interdisciplinary Exchange, hosted by the Colorado Attorney General's Office. The beginning of the week featured a welcome by Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and a variety of presentations and practical exercises surrounding various phases of the criminal justice process, allowing the law enforcement from Mexico to connect individually with law enforcement from the Colorado AGO. On Thursday the group attended live court proceedings, featuring direct and cross examination of law enforcement witnesses, and concluded the week Friday with visits to the Adams County Crime Lab and Sheriff's Office Training Facility.

 

In San Luis Potosi, 3 instructors worked with a group of 70 prosecutors, investigators and forensic scientists at the state attorney general's office. The teams participated in a series of practical exercises from investigation through trial, after observing the live presentations from Colorado via video-conference technology.

 

The presentations from the Interdisciplinary Exchange were also streamed live to viewers throughout Mexico via Internet, and the recordings are available online here.
 
Denver, Colorado
Visit the CWAG Alliance Partnership Website

www.CWAGWeb.org/AP

CWAG Alliance Partnership Programs

The CWAG Alliance Partnership facilitates collaboration between U.S. and Mexican state Attorneys General's Offices. Available services include:

  • Contacts Database
    • Comprehensive, sortable contact information for people involved with AP trainings, meetings and events
  • Quick-Response Contact Information
    • Direct contacts within the U.S. and Mexican AGO's for help on specific cases
  • Case Consulting
    • Help with case preparation, from investigation to presentation in court, by a U.S. criminal prosecutor experienced in oral trials
  • Office Reviews/Efficiency Audits
    • A team of experts observes and advises on processes and procedures, to help address a specific issue or give a general perspective
  • Best Practices Consulting
    • Experienced professionals share hard-earned knowledge about issues in administration of justice
Issue: 2014-4
CWAG AP Logo
In This Issue
Attorneys General Talk Cybercrime
Oral Trial Forums
Colorado-San Luis Potosi Exchange
CWAG on the Web
Alliance Partnership Programs
CWAG Grant Identifies Deceased US Citizen in Mexico
Interdisciplinary Exchanges Online
Contacts
We're on Facebook!
Links

CWAG Grant Results in the Identification of a Deceased US Citizen Found In Mexico


Since 2013, CWAG has been conducting a research project under a grant from the National Institute of Justice, with the goal of using DNA testing to identify human remains found in the US suspected of being Mexican nationals, as well as identifying remains found in Mexico suspected of being US citizens.

In August of this year, a decomposing body with evidence of a suicide, was found in Rosarito, Mexico. A Missing Persons Detective from the San Diego County Sherriff's Office in collaboration with the Baja California Attorney General's Office, collected samples from the deceased person and submitted them, under the authority of the grant, to the California Department of Justice. The resultant DNA profile was searched in CODIS and matched a profile already in the data base. On August 28, 2014, CA DOJ reported the identity of this individual as Chadwick Ware. Working with the Baja California Attorney General's Office and the US Marshal's Office, the San Diego Detective brought Mr. Ware's father to Mexico, where the body of Chadwick Ware was released for transport back to the United States.
 

Interdisciplinary Exchange Presentations Available Online 

The presentations from the Interdisciplinary Exchanges were also streamed live to viewers throughout Mexico via Internet, and the recordings are available online here.
Contacts

 

For all information and requests, contact:

 

Susan Lustig

Administrative Director

[email protected]

Cell: 805.264.4277

 

~ or ~

 

Lauren Niehaus

Director of Program Coordination

[email protected]

Cell: 303.827.9039

This material was funded by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
 
Follow us on Facebook!
The CWAG Alliance Partnership is on Facebook. Follow us at www.facebook.com/CWAGAP 
Links

State Alliance Partnership

 

Council of State Governments

 

Border Legislative Conference

 

Border Governors' Conference

 

Southwest Border Anti-Money Laundering Alliance

 

National Association of Attorneys General

 

US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

 

United States Agency for International Development

 

North American Center for Transborder Studies at ASU

 

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

 

Justice in Mexico Project at USD

 

International Association for Court Administration

 

 

Join Our Mailing List


The CWAG Alliance Partnership promotes the Rule of Law in Mexico, offering a forum for strengthening relationships between U.S. and Mexican State Attorneys General. It supports implementation of an oral adversarial criminal justice system by offering opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between both countries.

 
Karen White, Executive Director

Conference of Western Attorneys General Alliance Partnership
www.cwagweb.org/ap
916-323-1939