Effective capital mitigation requires continuous education in law, investigation, human development, trauma, forensic evidence, sentencing strategy, expert coordination, and jury selection.
Donna L. Murray, M.A., L.P.I., has pursued advanced professional training throughout her career to strengthen her work with capital defense teams, juvenile resentencing counsel, investigators, and mitigation professionals. Her training includes programs presented by leading national and state defense organizations, including NACDL, FACDL, NLADA, NASAMS, the Florida Capital Resource Center, Life Over Death, and public defender organizations.
The programs below represent Donna’s ongoing commitment to remaining informed about evolving capital-defense practices, investigative techniques, sentencing strategies, forensic issues, and approaches to developing credible, fact-supported mitigation.
Training Across the Capital Defense Process
Donna’s professional development has addressed multiple areas relevant to capital and serious criminal defense cases, including:
- Capital mitigation investigation and strategy
- Life-history and social-history development
- Juvenile resentencing
- Death penalty law and procedure
- Capital jury selection and the Colorado Method
- Working with expert witnesses
- Forensic evidence in capital cases
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
- Sentencing investigation and advocacy
- Habeas and post-conviction matters
- Homicide defense
- Mitigation themes and narrative development
Selected Capital Mitigation Training
Donna has participated in the following capital-defense, sentencing, forensic, and mitigation training programs during her career.
- NACDL BYOC – Orlando, FL (Nov 2023)
- NACDL Making the Case for Life – New Orleans, LA (2022, Virtual-2020, 2014)
- FACDL Death is Different (2019, 2017, 2014)
- Florida Center Training Institute — Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) for Criminal Justice Practitioners (May 10, 2024)
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association NASAMS Fundamentals of Mitigation Certificate Program (July 22-24, 2021)
- Life Over Death (2025, 2023, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2007)
- Sentencing Training w/ Colorado Method Capital Voir Dire introduction, Orlando, FL (October 8-9, 2017)
- Capital Jury Selection: The Colorado Method as Applied to Florida (presentation)
- Nitty Gritty Mitigation Sentencing Strategies, Orlando, FL (July 24-25, 2017)
- Florida’s New Death Penalty Scheme – Mitigation, Miami, FL (June 30, 2016)
- ACLU, Alabama Bring Your Own Case training, February 2018
- Georgia Capital Defender conference, May 20-23, 2018
- Federal Defender Habeas Training, Miami, FL Apr 19-22,
- Anatomy of a Capital Case & Learning to Defend Homicides, CCCRC
Altamonte Springs, FL (January 23-24, 2014) - Florida Capital Resource Center – Capital Forensics: Investigating and Challenging
Forensic Evidence in Capital Cases, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (January 17, 2014) - Florida Capital Resource Center – Mitigation Workshop: Mitigation Strategies & Techniques for Capital Cases, Miami, FL (December, 2012)
- FACDL Bring Your Own Case – Capital Mitigation Seminar, Florida A&M Univ. College of Law (Jan 5-7, 2012)
- Capital Mitigation Workshop, Orlando Public Defender’s Office (January 29-30, 2009)
What is capital mitigation training?
Capital mitigation training helps defense professionals develop the investigative, analytical, interviewing, and case-development skills required to uncover and document mitigating circumstances in death penalty and other serious criminal cases.
What subjects has Donna Murray studied through capital mitigation training?
Donna’s professional development has included capital mitigation strategy, juvenile resentencing, expert witness coordination, forensic evidence, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, sentencing strategy, homicide defense, habeas matters, and capital jury selection.
Why is continuing education important in capital mitigation?
Capital litigation, juvenile sentencing standards, forensic science, behavioral health research, and defense practices continue to develop. Ongoing education helps mitigation professionals remain informed about emerging issues and effective investigative approaches.
Does Donna Murray provide mitigation presentations or professional training?
Donna has presented to attorneys, investigators, mitigation specialists, and sentencing advocates at state, regional, and national conferences. Organizations can contact Murray Investigations to discuss her availability and potential presentation topics.
Who benefits from capital mitigation training?
Capital defense attorneys, mitigation specialists, criminal defense investigators, social workers, sentencing advocates, public defender teams, and other professionals involved in serious criminal cases may benefit from capital mitigation training.
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