Beth Merachnik serves as Project Director of the Association of Prosecuting Attorney’s (APA) Addressing Disparities to Reproductive Health Project. Ms. Merachnik is the former Deputy Director of APA’s Child Abuse Prosecution Project and former Director of APA’s Smart Prosecution Project. She is a former prosecutor from Massachusetts having served for over twenty years in both the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General. Ms. Merachnik prosecuted a wide variety of cases during her career at the District Attorney’s office, including crimes of homicide, sexual assault and child abuse and held the position Director of the Middlesex Domestic Violence Unit for over four years. Ms. Merachnik served at the Office of the Attorney General, first as the Chief of the Community-Based Justice Bureau and then Senior Counsel and Trial Attorney in the Criminal Bureau.
Mr. David LaBahn is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), a national association representing elected and deputy or assistant prosecutors, and city attorneys. The association acts as a global forum for the exchange of ideas, allowing prosecutors to collaborate with all criminal justice partners, and conducts timely and effective training and technical assistance to improve the prosecutorial function. In addition, APA serves as an advocate for prosecutors on emerging issues related to the administration of justice, development of partnerships and implementation of problem-solving strategies.
Aimee Peterson serves as the Project Associate of the Association of Prosecuting Attorney’s (APA) Addressing Disparities to Reproductive Health Project. Aimee previously served as the Project Associate for APA’s Child Abuse Prosecution Project. Aimee holds a B.A. from St. John’s University in Government and Politics and also brings experience working in the non-profit sector previously holding positions at the National Sheriffs’ Association and the School Superintendents Association.
Sasha Beatty joined the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in July 2019 after previously working for the Nashville District Attorney’s Office for two years as an Assistant District Attorney General. There, she prosecuted domestic violence cases before working in Criminal Court Divisions I and V as a felony trial prosecutor. Sasha received her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in May of 2017. She attended Duke University and received her Bachelor of Arts in U.S. History with a minor in French. Sasha is admitted to practice law in the State of Tennessee and the District of Columbia, and is a member of the Tennessee State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the American Constitution Society. In addition to her work in the Office of General Counsel, Sasha works as the Web Development Director.
Merrill Mezzacappa is a former Chief Assistant Prosecutor with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey. She also served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Sussex County, NJ, and as a Judicial Law Clerk. Throughout her 25 year career, Merrill successfully tried cases including vehicular homicide, homicide, aggravated sexual assault and strict liability for drug induced death, and she lead a trial team. Merrill served as the legal supervisor to the sex crimes, child abuse, vehicular homicide, domestic violence and victim witness units in the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. She was the legal advisor to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program, a member of the Domestic Violence Working Group, and a Special Deputy Attorney General in the State Grand Jury Investigation of Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Members of the Clergy. Merrill also devoted years of practice to teaching constitutional aspects of search and seizure to police officers. Merrill serves as a Fellow for APA’s Addressing Disparities to Reproductive Health Project