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Arizona Prosecuting Attorney’s Advisory Council (Phoenix, AZ)

Population: 7,174,000 | Number of Members: 858 | Contact Information

The Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) has developed a public, internet accessible database (often referred to as a Brady list) that contains names of law enforcement officers for whom there are materials which must be provided in discovery in order to comply with Brady v. Maryland and its progeny. 

Prosecution leaders, including the chair of APAAC, Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, worked with law enforcement and the Arizona legislature to design a process for determining who should be included in the database, resulting in statutory changes that afford all officers an opportunity to be heard prior to inclusion.  Through this database, prosecutors throughout the state are able to check the database to see if other agencies are retaining information on a particular officer.  The database is also a safeguard against failure to provide notice that such evidence exists as all defense counsel have access and can verify if a particular officer is or is not on the list and request follow up as necessary.  The APAAC advocated to make this a public website in order to improve transparency and accountability for included officers.