PHOENIX— The Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) named Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery as the new State Director for Arizona for the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) to replace retiring Greenlee County Attorney Derek Rapier.
“I am grateful for the chance to serve fellow prosecutors in Arizona and I am honored to have their trust and confidence. Derek will be missed as a fellow County Attorney and as our representative to the NDAA,” Montgomery stated. “There are a number of important issues I hope to continue working on from challenges with cell phone encryption, to maintaining the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Montgomery added.
County Attorney Montgomery was a unanimous choice among prosecutors to replace County Attorney Rapier and follows Montgomery’s recent presentation before the Metropolitan Section of the NDAA on the use of Grand Juries in officer involved shooting incidents.
“I am very pleased that Mr. Montgomery will represent Arizona prosecutors on NDAA,” said Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney and APAAC Chair. “He will be an outstanding representative who brings expertise on the more complex criminal justice issues to the national front. Arizona has been a leader in criminal justice reform and this appointment allows us to share our success with other states.”
County Attorney Rapier served in the role for two years representing the interests and concerns of Arizona Prosecutors before the NDAA on a range of issues concerning training, policies and practices, and the role of prosecutors within the criminal justice system. County Attorney Rapier reflected on his last two years of service as Arizona’s State Director noting, “It was an honor to represent Arizona’s prosecutors over the last two years and share the great work we have been engaged in and learn from other prosecutors around the country how best to carry out our important role in bringing justice to victims and holding offenders accountable.”
NDAA provides prosecutors a forum to discuss and influence important national, state and local issues affecting law enforcement and prosecution.
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