DPA 2025 Annual Conference

So, the verdict we did not want has happened and we are standing before the same jury…. now what? KRS 532.055 provides that a sentencing phase will commence. Are we ready? Pursuant to Rule 1.1 and 1.3 we have a duty to our clients to fully represent them during the penalty phase of the trial and at final sentencing before a judge. Our advocacy is necessary to ensure that judges and juries know our clients are more than a convicted person and that a sentence is more than a number on a page. In this session participants will learn to seize these opportunities to argue for leniency. We will discuss how to creatively present evidence that will tell clients stories about the past and present while highlighting sentence implications on their futures.