The death penalty changes everything about how the defense team has to approach the case. If someone is convicted at a capital trial, the jury decides whether they receive a sentence of death or life without parole. This second phase requires its own comprehensive investigation into every aspect of a defendant’s background. The attorneys must work with a mitigation specialist to compile a rich social history of their client and to present to the jury a truthful, compelling and humanizing portrayal of a person’s life. Despite being a critical piece of any competent defense strategy, a mitigation investigation requires skills that are not taught in law school.
Founded in 2010 by Marc Bookman and Dana Cook, both formerly of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, ACCR fills the void created by a lack of public resources for indigent capital defendants. We provide consultation, training, and resources for capital defense teams.
In addition to our work in Pennsylvania, ACCR provides critical support to capital defense teams in other states and the federal system. In recent years, ACCR has expanded its work to challenge additional forms of extreme sentencing, representing people serving death by incarceration through commutations, compassionate release, and other forms of relief and resentencing.
