Mitigation that gives the court the whole person.
A mitigation investigation reconstructs the client’s life so defense counsel can present them in context and give the court a reason to choose a less punitive sentence. We handle capital and non-capital cases, adult and juvenile, appointed and private.
The offense is one moment. The sentence should reflect a life.
Judges and juries are asked to decide what a person deserves. They can only weigh what they are shown. Mitigation is the disciplined work of finding, verifying and presenting the history that explains how a client arrived in that courtroom.
With training in criminal justice and psychology, our team understands how biological, social and environmental factors shape development and behavior, and we know how to gather that history from the people and records that hold it, with the care those conversations require.
Exhaustive by design.
Every case is different, but every mitigation investigation we conduct is built on the same foundation.
Life history interviews
In-person interviews with family, friends, teachers, coaches, employers, physicians and others who have known the client across their life.
Records
Identification, retrieval and summary of the records that document the client’s life, from birth through the present.
Multi-generational history
Family history and relationships across generations, presented in a clear family tree the court can follow.
Expert coordination
We identify qualified experts, confirm availability and fees, and give counsel the strongest candidates with the records they need.
Witness preparation
Mitigation witnesses are located, kept informed of court dates and prepared for what to expect when they testify.
Presentation
A final report counsel can build on, and when the case calls for it, a mitigation video for the judge, jury or Department of Justice.
The Final Mitigation Report.
Everything we learn is brought together in one chronological narrative of the client’s life, written for counsel and sourced to the interviews and records behind it. It is supported by an organized records summary, a witness list and a family history, so counsel can move from the story to the proof in seconds.
Used for
- Penalty phase and Spencer hearings in capital cases
- Presentations to the Department of Justice in federal capital cases
- Sentencing memoranda and hearings in state and federal court
- Plea negotiations, where a fuller picture of the client can change the offer
- Juvenile sentencing and resentencing
Engagement
Counsel retains CQI, privately or on an appointed case, and we align on the theory, the court dates and the hours available.
Investigation
Interviews and records collection begin immediately, prioritized around the next court date.
Synthesis
Findings are summarized as they arrive, so counsel always knows what we have and what is still outstanding.
Presentation
The final report, witnesses ready to testify, and video when it will help the court see the client.
“She provides a mitigation report that outlines the client’s life in detail. She also provides a powerful mitigation video to present to the jury or DOJ that outlines the client’s life through testimony, photos, and memorabilia.”
“Colleen’s ability to gather information and evidence relevant to my case and encapsulate that information into a detailed, comprehensive, and presentable mitigation report is second to none.”
Clients with a record of contribution?
For professionals, executives and athletes, the right approach may be our Sentencing Portfolio, built on community, career and accountability.
The sooner we start, the more we find.
Attorneys receive one complimentary hour of consultation on any case. Tell us what you are facing and we will tell you how we can help.
