arizona lawyer who questioned christine ford

Who is the woman who will question Christine Blasey Ford?

Rachel Mitchell, a veteran sex crimes prosecutor from Maricopa County, Arizona, has been named as the woman who will question Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during the September 27, 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing into the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck ...

Who is Ford's attorney?

However, Ford’s attorneys have repeatedly objected to the Senate Judiciary Committee using an outside lawyer to question Ford. Michael Bromwich, an attorney for Ford, said previously in a statement, “This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate.

Is the Sheriff's Office a different agency from the prosecutor's office?

The Sheriff’s Office is a different agency from the prosecutor’s office that has employed Rachel Mitchell for more than two decades. Here’s what you need to know: 1. Grassley Called Rachel Mitchell a Career Prosecutor With Decades of Experience but Dr. Ford’s Attorneys Opposed an Outside Counsel.

Who called Rachel Mitchell a career prosecutor?

Ford’s Attorneys Opposed an Outside Counsel. Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. In his statement, Chuck Grassley praised Rachel Mitchell’s career. Grassley said that Mitchell has “decades ...

Who was the Arizona prosecutor in 2003?

The Arizona newspaper also reported that Rachel Mitchell was named “Arizona’s outstanding sexual-assault prosecutor” in 2003 and her office’s Prosecutor of the Year in 2006. Mitchell told FrontLine that she had trained churches and schools on Arizona’s mandatory reporting laws.

Who praised Rachel Mitchell?

Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. In his statement, Chuck Grassley praised Rachel Mitchell’s career. Grassley said that Mitchell has “decades of experience prosecuting sex crimes,” calling her a “career prosecutor.”. He added, “As I have said, I’m committed to providing a forum to both Dr.

What's the next step in Kavanaugh nomination battle?

WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans said Tuesday that they had hired an outside attorney to question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexually assaulting her, at the committee's hearing on Thursday.

How are Kavanaugh and Ford preparing for their Senate hearing?

"The goal is to de-politicize the process and get to the truth, instead of grandstanding and giving senators an opportunity to launch their presidential campaigns," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee's chairman, said in a statement. "I’m very appreciative that Rachel Mitchell has stepped forward to serve in this important and serious role."

Trump reportedly sounds 'fatalistic' on Kavanaugh in private

Meanwhile, both President Donald Trump and leading Hill Republicans continued to take a sharper tone Tuesday on the accusations against Kavanaugh.

Opinion: Former prosecutors who criticized Arizona's Rachel Mitchell for participating in the Brett Kavanaugh hearing clearly forgot how the system works

It's not surprising that five partisan Democrats would write a letter criticizing Rachel Mitchell (" Why didn't Rachel Mitchell know her role in Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation was a sham? "). After all, her respectful questioning of Christine Blasey Ford laid bare significant doubts about Dr. Ford’s claims.

Memo was necessary, not a 'grave error'

Surely these former prosecutors must know that it is routine and preferable to start an investigation by talking to the person alleging the offense. That this interaction occurred in public was due to Dr.

Clearly, they've forgotten their history

Their claim that Mitchell should not have agreed to participate in the hearing “regardless” is equally laughable. Her expert and respectful approach, witnessed by the entire world, is the best evidence of the value she brought to the process and drowns out the noise.

Mitchell's conduct lifts up the profession

Mitchell was not acting as a “prosecutor,” but rather as a highly experienced lawyer asking questions for a Senate committee. She did not write a “prosecution memo” but a summary prepared in the light of her expertise. That these lawyers don’t like her conclusions does not make them any less reliable.

How was she selected for the position?

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he got a phone call from a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer last weekend asking about Mitchell's qualifications and availability. He encouraged the staff to talk with her directly, and later vouched for her professionalism.

She is a longtime prosecutor focusing on sex crimes

Mitchell has worked as a prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office since 1993, where she worked as a prosecutor specializing in sex-related felonies, including child molestation, adult sexual assault and cold cases.

She is an ASU law graduate

Mitchell graduated from the Arizona State University law school and was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona Oct. 24, 1992.

What do attorneys say about her?

Larry Debus, a criminal defense and civil-rights attorney who has handled sexual-abuse cases and has opposed Mitchell, said she will approach the questioning of Ford as a thorough prosecutor who always comes well-prepared for trials.

She faces a challenge ahead

Montgomery said that her role for the committee does not put her in an adversarial position against the alleged victim.