ST. LOUIS — More than 70 people applied for 20 spots in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office’s latest Citizens Academy, a six-week program that gives participants a closer look at how prosecutors handle cases and how the office works with the community.
The fall class is the academy’s third cohort, said Leann J. Mosby, the office’s director of community engagement. Participants learn about the prosecution process through hands-on activities, site tours and sessions with prosecutors, legal staff and partner agencies.
The academy walks participants through what Mosby calls “the anatomy of a prosecution,” from a crime investigation to a prosecutor’s review of a warrant application. The class also includes a mock trial.
Mosby said the program addresses questions residents often have about the justice system, including why an arrest or criminal charge may not follow a reported crime.
“We can have a conversation all day long, but if you aren’t able to process or receive what it is that I’m saying to you, then who is it for?”
Leann J. Mosby
The free academy is open to adults in the Greater St. Louis area. The Circuit Attorney’s Office holds sessions each spring and fall on weekday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. More information is available at circuitattorney.org/citizens-academy-cao.
The office also connects residents with prosecutors through its Circuit Attorney’s Neighborhood Collaboration program. The initiative assigns assistant circuit attorneys to neighborhood associations as ongoing contacts. Mosby said 13 associations were participating at the time of the interview.
The program gives residents a way to raise neighborhood concerns with the office, seek information and support for victims and witnesses, and learn how they can take part in the justice process. Its activities also include court watch opportunities and resident-led problem solving.
Mosby said she wants residents to have a point of contact with the office before a court case brings them into contact with prosecutors during a traumatic time.
“If someone has to deal with our office, it is usually on one of the most traumatic days of their lives,” she said. “We want you to have a touchpoint with us before you are a defendant or a victim.”
Leann J. Mosby
Mosby said the office had held 317 community engagement events during her three years in the role, according to its latest count. She said the work involves residents, schools, businesses, police and other community partners.
“We cannot fix this crime problem, this accessibility problem with information, if we are all continuing to operate in silos. We have to work together.”
Leann J. Mosby
Program Flyers and Contact Information
View or download the Citizens Academy flyer (PDF)
View or download the Neighborhood Collaboration flyer (PDF)
Neighborhood associations interested in the collaboration program can contact Mosby at (314) 589-6283 or Mosbyl@stlouiscao.org.
