Dear Prosecutors:

I am a professor at SMU Law School, and I am writing to request your participation in a 10-minute online survey about your experience with online criminal proceedings. As you know, jurisdictions around the country have turned to online criminal proceedings in light of restrictions on in-person proceedings during the coronavirus epidemic. But the operation of these proceedings is not well understood by outside observers. The goal of the survey is to provide insight into this new practice. Your input would be very valuable as a first-hand guide to the views and experiences of prosecutors in your jurisdiction.

The survey, which can be accessed at this link , is confidential. I do not ask for your name, and your answers will not be linked to you or your office. While I hope you will agree to take this survey, your participation is, of course, voluntary, and you may choose to stop answering questions at any time.

The questions about online criminal proceedings are general in nature and do not ask about specific cases. This project is not funded by, or affiliated with, any advocacy group. I am simply attempting to gain basic information about this new and little understood practice, and I hope to publish the results of the research in an academic journal.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could complete the survey within the next two weeks. Clicking the link will take you to the survey and will confirm your consent to take part.

If you have any questions concerning the study, please call me at 214-768-4036 or email me at Jenia@smu.edu. If you are interested in seeing the results of the study, I would be glad to send you a copy when it is done.

Thank you very much for your attention and time. It is only with the generous help of people like you that this research can be successful.

Sincerely,
Jenia Turner