Mexican and U.S. Justice Sector Officials Celebrate Launch of Mexico’s First Judicial Bench Book for New Accusatory Criminal Justice System

The Mexican federal judiciary, the Mexico City state judiciary, the Puebla state judiciary, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) launched their Bench Book for Criminal Hearings and Trials, which is designed to increase judicial economy, decrease caseloads, and standardize judicial practices across Mexico.  With funding from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), this resource will serve as an effective and practical tool for justice sector actors including criminal judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel across the country.