Capital Defense

Helping Capital Defense Teams Modernize their Investigation Process

Federal & State Government | New Orleans, LA & L.A., CA

challenge

I had the rare opportunity to apply design research techniques in a non-traditional setting, as a Capital Defense Mitigation Investigator. I engaged in this human rights work by aligning with federal and state capital defense legal teams to perform in-depth social history investigations for indigent clients facing capital murder charges.

One of my notable challenges arose while working on a high-stakes federal pre-trial case in New Orleans, Louisiana. The case required me to conduct extensive field research, gathering critical data under pressing time constraints while establishing trust with diverse community groups and individuals affected by the case.

work

I applied a design-thinking approach to tackle the complexities of capital defense mitigation. I developed and implemented an innovative field investigation strategy through this lens, fostering relationships across various sectors to obtain crucial information. My approach involved meticulously designing data collection and analysis methods, enabling me to assemble a comprehensive seven-generation socio-biographical chronology of the client's life. This task demanded significant trust-building and empathetic communication, particularly to unearth a pivotal 42-year-old medical record from a defunct institution.

key actions

I applied design-thinking and community-organizing approaches to tackle the complexities of capital defense mitigation. These methodologies allowed me to navigate the multifaceted challenges systematically and empathetically. Here's a breakdown of my process using design-thinking principles:

  1. Empathize: I began by deeply understanding the client’s background. I engaged in extensive ethnographic research to uncover their biological, psychological, and social history. This involved building trust with diverse communities and stakeholders, including family members, healthcare providers, and potential witnesses.

  2. Define: I collaborated with the team to identify critical areas where historical evidence was missing or insufficient. By clearly defining the problem spaces, I could focus on locating essential records and testimonies that were pivotal for the defense.

  3. Ideate: I brainstormed various strategies for gathering the necessary information. This included innovative approaches to contacting closed institutions, tracing long-lost records, and engaging with a wide range of community members worldwide to piece together the clients' life stories.

  4. Prototype: I developed a robust strategy for field investigations, including detailed data-collection methods. I had piloted these strategies on previous cases to refine my approach and ensure the effectiveness of my methods.

  5. Test: I tested my strategies in real-world scenarios through persistent effort and iterative refinement. This iterative process involved continuous feedback and adaptation, ensuring the collected evidence was comprehensive and accurate.

results

  • Detailed Social History Profiles: I co-led the collection and creation of comprehensive social history profiles for each client, mapping multi-generational data to highlight the impacts of trauma, mental illness, intellectual deficits, and socio-economic challenges on client behavior and cognition.

  • Life-Saving Evidence: I personally tracked down a 42-year-old document that no one in the state knew existed. This single piece of evidence was pivotal in the defendant’s case, whereby our team prevented the death penalty and secured life imprisonment and comprehensive mental health services instead​​​​.

  • Trust and Community Engagement: My ability to build trust within diverse communities led to the discovery of crucial testimonies and records that were previously inaccessible. Empathic and respectful communication fostered strong relationships, enabling me to gather vital information.

  • Extensive Data Collection: My efforts resulted in the collection of thousands of records and testimonies, which were systematically cataloged and analyzed. I uncovered 73% of the team's requested documents, surpassing the typical 40% retrieval rate for legal teams. This extensive data collection provided a strong evidentiary foundation for our client’s legal defense.