DEFENSE INVESTIGATORS TRAINING ACCREDITATION
What is DITA?
DITA (an acronym for Defense Investigators Training Accreditation) was established by vote of the Board of Directors of the Defense Investigators Association in 1998. DITA provides college-accredited, certificated training in criminal defense investigations. DITA classes address the skills and knowledge essential to provide competent investigation on behalf of the defense in criminal cases. The DITA committee members studied a wide variety of issues and topics to identify classes that they considered to be necessary training for criminal defense investigators. The committee then approached Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, for accreditation. After meeting the college's rigorous standards, the committee obtained approval to present the first DITA set of classes, leading to a Certificate in Criminal Defense Investigations.
The Certificate Program
The Certificate Program consists of four classes, each earning two units of college credits. Upon satisfactory completion of the four classes, a total of eight college units, the student earns the Certificate in Criminal Defense Investigations. Those students successfully completing all four classes will be awarded the Certificate in Criminal Defense Investigation.
Each class is presented in an intensive workshop setting, with students spending four to five days in a classroom setting, and include thirty hours of required class participation. The classes may not be audited, and students must attend all classes in order to get credit for the individual course, and to earn credit toward the Certificate. The topics for each class were set in conjunction with Allan Hancock College and must be presented as required and approved by the school. This means that the Defense Investigators Association and the DITA committee are contractually obligated to present each course as outlined in our agreement with Allan Hancock college, and each class must include thirty hours of classroom work and study.
The DITA classes are as follows:
1.Introduction to Defense Investigations. This class in cludes the following topics:
a. Evolution of Criminal Defense
b. Role of the Defense Investigator
c. Case Organization and Time Management
d. Note Taking and Report Writing
e. Interview Skills and Techniques
f. Testifying Skills
2. Case Development and Procedures
a. Subpoenas (duces tecum and others)
b. Records and Resources
c. Rules of Evidence and Motions
d. Laws of Arrest, Search and Seizure
e. Locating Witnesses
f. Photography
g. Introduction to Diagrams/Sketches
h. Introduction to Crime Scene investigations
3. Communications for the Investigator
a. Ethics
b. Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
c. Informants and Snitches
d. Mental Health Issues
e. Investigator's Safety Issues
f. Interagency Resources and Relations
g. Computers in the Workplace
4. Investigative Sciences and Technology
a. Study of Firearms evidence (not target practice)
b. Computers as a resource, Internet
c. Study of forensic evidence, including blood spatter
d. Toxicology
e. Sketches and Diagrams
Where are the classes held?
DITA classes must be held within the district covered by Allan Hancock Community College, or in Community College Districts where a waiver allows us to present the class in another district. When DITA was established, Allan Hancock College was chosen not only for its progressive attitude toward Administration of Justice courses, but also because its location, near the center of the state, maximizes accessibility for most Defense Investigator Association members and other interested students.
Meanwhile, the DITA committee is attempting to obtain waivers from other community colleges in counties nearby Santa Barbara and is hopeful that these waivers will make it possible to present the classes in other areas of the state.
Please note that the Certificate program requires that students complete all four classes prior to receiving a certificate. The DITA committee is well aware that investigators may not be able to complete all four classes in the order in which they are presented, so we are not planning to contract with another community college district to present these classes. Why? We want all our students to be able to obtain the certificate if they wish. Units from one college may not transfer to another, and we do not want to expose our students to that risk. So, rest assured that the DITA committee intends to do everything in its power to make the classes accessible to students from all over the state and country, for that matter,, and at the same time, to assure that students who miss a class can later take the same class and receive the Certificate.
Are the classes a lot of work?
DITA classes are intensive, and do require some amount of work from students. The classes cannot be audited, and students are required to attend all the class sessions in order to get credit for each course. Students take an exam at the end of each class, and must earn a C or better to pass the class and earn credit toward the certificate. Some of the classes include a great deal of small group participation, such as the interviewing and testifying classes. Others involve large group lectures, reminding students of their freshman year general education classes. Some classes require a great deal of reading, and others classes require student papers. So, is DITA a lot of work? Yes, it can be. The very fact that the classes are telescoped into a very short period of days makes the classes inherently more difficult than they would be had students more days in class and more time for studying. For that reason, the DITA committee tries to get most class materials out to students as early as possible prior to the beginning of class. Additionally, the DITA faculty is committed to working closely with those students who have had some difficulty with the classes, providing them with the extra opportunities needed in order to successfully complete the courses. DITA faculty members are committed to seeing that each DITA student succeeds, and will work with any student who requests assistance or who is identified as needing further instruction or extra help.
Despite the intensive nature of the classes, the DITA committee wants to assure prospective students that the classes are by no means impossible. Ask DITA students who have attended and you will generally find them to feel the classes have been rewarding, stimulating, and fun. Most students have been very happy with their DITA class experiences. They understand, as should you, that the first certificate program is the basis for building on further advanced classes, just as in any college major. The DITA certificate (these four courses) will be prerequisite for certain Advanced DITA classes to be offered in the future. This, too, is just like any other college courses you may have taken. Remember that the four classes are college level, and are designed to provide a worthwhile learning experience for even the most experienced investigators. DITA classes are designed to provide training that is performance based, experiential, and competitive. Students learn how to work as part of a team, and build professional relationships that will last a lifetime.
The DITA committee members know that students come to DITA classes with a wide range of experience and education, but we have found that all our students who wish to learn and grow in their profession come away from DITA classes with enhanced skills and knowledge. In addition, our students know they are in the forefront of the movement to enhance the professionalism and the reputation of Criminal Defense Investigators.
We are also working on our first Advanced DITA class, one focusing on Gangs. Look for information about all our classes on our website, CDIA.ORG. If you wish to talk with a DITA committee member, please call Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt at (805) 346-7510. We also have a list of DITA students who will be willing to talk with you about what DITA has meant for them, and who will be happy to describe the DITA class experience and benefits to you.
DIA-DITA Yahoo Group
The DIA and DITA Intranet site is for the exclusive use of DIA members, DITA students and invited others who are criminal and juvenile defense investigators or other defense professionals.
To join send an e-mail asking to subscribe to DIA-DITA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
As a member you will be able to receive and transmit e-mails to each other.
Through this group email, we will announce upcoming DITA classes. The yahoo group email is also used to post homework assignments and other course related materials.
The next module of DITA “Introduction to Defense Investigation” is tentatively scheduled for November 8th thru the 12th at