Supreme Court Update, 2019 - 2020

Bill Amato is a partner in the firm of Edwards and Amato P.C. The Firm provides a full-range of Police Legal Advisor Services to Law Enforcement Agencies throughout the State of Arizona. Bill, and his partner, Eric Edwards, provide legal advice, legal updates, policies, training, consultation and litigation support for their law enforcement clients. 

Bill’s background began as a line level prosecutor at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Bill spent 16 years at MCAO, promoting to Sex Crimes prosecutor, Homicide Prosecutor, Head of the Training Unit, Bureau Chief of the Charging Bureau and finally Special Assistant to the County Attorney. As a Special Assistant to the County Attorney, Bill worked with numerous agencies within Maricopa County on internal affairs investigations. Bill’s responsibilities would range from directing the investigation to reviewing cases for legal compliance. Bill also provided extensive legal counsel and training to these agencies on police misconduct, internal affairs investigations, interviewing and interrogation techniques, discipline, Garrity requirements and Brady compliance. Bill prepared and presented a variety of these trainings, ranging from one (1) hour to eight (8) hour presentations. Additionally, in his assignment as Special Assistant, Bill created the Law Enforcement Integrity Database and the associated policies for MCAO. This began Bill’s involvement with Brady/Giglio/Henthorn obligations and has transitioned to Bill being a nationally recognized expert in the field.

Bill left MCAO in 2007 to join the Tempe Police Department as their Police Legal Advisor. For the past 11 years, Bill has been providing legal services and training for not only Tempe PD, but also other law enforcement agencies and legal advisors around the country. In Bill’s role as Tempe PD legal advisor, he revised policies and practices within the Professional Standards Bureau to ensure best practices and legal compliance, both for state statutes (POBR) and federal requirements. Bill works with the internal affairs unit at Tempe PD to provide guidance and training (accepting complaints, investigating complaints, officer rights, and legal requirements of IAs) and reviews all high-profile investigations. Bill also helped implement new and innovative cognitive interviewing techniques provided by the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group. Bill is also a current instructor for MCSO’s court ordered ACT Training and continues to provide training to other agencies nationally. Bill is the current Chairperson of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Legal Officers Section. Additionally, Bill is as an Arizona POST subject matter and trainer on Law and Legal as well as Defensive Tactics (first non-sworn member of this SME group).