Yavapai County Prosecutor Dennis McGrane announced that Alisha Nakayama was the recipient of the statewide Legal Assistant Gerda and Kurt Klein Defender of Freedom Award on June 7, 2024, at the Arizona Prosecutor's Advisory Board's Annual Legal Assistant Conference.

The Gerda and Kurt Klein Guardian of Freedom Award was established in 2018 in honor of Holocaust survivors Gerda Weissman Klein and her husband Kurt Klein. The Kleins dedicated their lives to the lessons of the Holocaust. The Kleins believed that prosecutors are the embodiment of the U.S. Constitution and the “guardians of freedom” who serve as the last line of defense for the rights of both victims and defendants. This prestigious award recognizes legal assistants in the Arizona State Attorney's Office who have demonstrated exceptional professionalism in ethical decision-making in the pursuit of justice. The award is presented to legal professionals who acted in accordance with the Kleins' ideals and made the right decision regardless of how it affected the outcome of the case. Of note, this is not an annual award, but rather is given when exceptional behavior is warranted.

County Attorney McGrain said, “I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award. Alisha has been a standout since she began working at my office and in 2019 was awarded the statewide Legal Assistant of the Year award. I nominated Alisha for the Gerda and Kurt Klein Guardian of Liberty Award because of her work on a very important child sex crimes case that may have been overlooked following the untimely death of one of my prosecutors. Despite an extremely hectic workload, Alisha was determined to see justice prevail in the case. Alisha primarily drafted the appellate briefs that led to an important statewide decision to prevent crime victims from being wrongfully dismissed by the courts. On behalf of my office and victims across the state, I want to offer Alisha a well-deserved 'congratulations.'”