Co-Founder Rena Paul Quoted in Chicago Tribune on Trauma-Informed Prosecution
On December 29, 2023, Co-Founder Rena Paul was quoted in Chicago Tribune Article Alleged Highland Park Parade Shooter, Father Work Through Court System While Community Continues to Recover.
“Some prosecutors may approach cases where there has been mass harm with trauma-informed practices, which generally means to have an awareness and understanding of the trauma that has occurred, said Rena Paul, former federal prosecutor and co-founder of Alcalaw.
In practice, trauma-informed approaches for a prosecutor are transparency, predictability and mindfulness of the impact trauma can have on everyone involved in the trial process, said Paul who has co-authored a trauma-informed curriculum for the Institute for Innovation inProsecution at John Jay College in New York City.”
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In the Crimo case, pro se litigation adds another potential harm to the victims that requiressignificant time and attention from a trauma-informed prosecutor to prepare a witness for thesituation, Paul added.
“The most significant piece is having a potential assailant cross-examine a victim during this, which is a very fraught situation, with the possibility of causing significant additional harm to the person on the stand, as well as their family and friends in the audience,” Paul said.
'“A trauma-informed prosecutor can really empower a witness in that situation with tools to make the prospects of this additional confrontation more bearable, or at least prepare them for that situation, which can be preparation before, during and after the trial,” Paul continued.
A professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine professor, Lori Ann Post,who has studied decades of mass shootings and the shooters, said Crimo’s decision to representhimself is, “very consistent with psychopathy and narcissism.”
High profile violent cases can be very stressful for prosecutors, Paul added, which is why it’simportant for prosecutors to be equipped with self-care strategies.
This year, the city of Highland Park also begun planning a remembrance place for the massacre.The memorial will honor the lives lost, those who were present and injured and all other impacted victims.”
Link to article here.
