PLANO (1080 KRLD) - It's a 12-week deep-dive into the Collin County criminal justice system, and it's open to the public.
The Collin County District Attorney's office is now accepting applications for the next Citizen Prosecutor Academy, which begins Sept. 5.
DA Greg Willis said they started the popular program several years ago. "We realized that a lot of the people we serve did not understand a lot about the kind of work that we do," he said.
The Citizen Prosecutor Academy is a community outreach program that shows participants how a criminal case progresses, from the arrest and indictment of a suspect to the trial and subsequent appeal. Members of the Academy also hear from speakers involved in all aspects of the criminal justice system. That includes judges, prosecutors, detectives, child advocates and medical examiners.
Willis said the Academy is held twice each year, and the public feedback has been tremendous. "You are going to love this class. You're going to learn so much, and you're going to tell all your friends about it. Because I know at the end, that's what the feedback is. That's what the evaluation ratings say. And, so many of the people we have heard about it through one of the actual participants," he said.
The Citizen Prosecutor Academy will meet in McKinney. Classes will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. each Thursday from Sept. 5 through Nov. 21. The application period for the Fall 2019 session is open until Aug. 15, but space is limited.