2:00PM
Virginia Beach, VA
Draft
Council Members Present
Officers:
R. Bryan Haskins (Pittsylvania County), Chair
David L. Ledbetter (Waynesboro), First Vice Chair
Tracy Q. Martin (Halifax County), Second Vice Chair
Bryan L. Porter (City of Alexandria), Past Chairman
Council District Representatives:
Krystyn L. Reid (York County)
Georgette C. Phillips (Isle of Wight County)
Erin B. Barr (Chesterfield County)
Bethany A. S. Harrison (City of Lynchburg)
David L. Ledbetter (City of Waynesboro)
G. Ryan Mehaffey (Spotsylvania County)
Bryan L. Porter (City of Alexandria)
Robert M. Lilly (Giles County)
Steve T. Descano (Fairfax County)
Other Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Present
Meredith Adkins (King and Queen County)
Rhonda Alexander (Lunenberg County)
Amy Ashworth (Prince William)
Mackenzie Babichenko (Hanover County)
Dayna Bobbit (Patrick County)
Tiffany Buckner (City of Petersburg)
Alfred Collins (City of Colonial Heights)
Eric Cooke (Southampton County)
Derek Davis (Surry County)
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (Arlington County)
Susan Fierro (Prince George County)
Patrick Flinn (Martinsville City)
Ann Gardner (Allegheny County)
Chapman Good (Page County)
Nate Green (Williamsburg/James City of County)
Keri Gusmann (King George County)
James Hingeley (Albemarle County)
Michael Hurd (Middlesex County)
Mike Jones (Wythe County)
Justin Griffith (Pulaski County)
Matt Hamel (Chesapeake City)
Kimberly Hensley (Matthews County)
Scott Hook (Fauquier County)
Heather Hovermale (Winchester City)
Michael Hurd (Middlesex County)
Erik Laub (Nelson County)
Amanda Mann (Dinwiddie County)
Paul McAndrews (Campbell County)
John McNeil (City of Roanoke)
Spencer Morgan (Accomack County)
Andrew Nester (Henry County)
Eric Olsen (Stafford County)
Joseph Platania (City of Charlottesville)
Narendra Pleas (Suffolk City)
Russel Rabb (Culpeper County)
Christopher Rehak (City of Radford)
Krystn Reid (York/Poquoson County)
Colin D. Stolle (Virginia Beach)
Jack Thornton (Northampton County)
Leanne Watrous (Nottoway County)
Jane Wrightson (Northumberland County)
Guests
Deputy and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Present
Tabitha Anderson (City of Virginia Beach)
Stephen Armstrong (City of Colonial Heights)
Lori DiGiosia (Stafford County)
Stephen Eubank (City of Fredericksburg)
Melissa Freudenburg (York County/City of Poquoson)
Cameron Green (Williamsburg/James City County)
DJ Hansen (City of Chesapeake)
Kury Lockwood (City of Hopewell)
Charles Andrew Rice (City of Virginia Beach)
Elizabeth Blair Trent (Prince Edward County)
CASC Staff Present
Elliott Casey, Director, CASC
VACA Staff Present
Amanda Howie, Administrator
Other Guests
Molly Brown, Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys
Donald Caldwell, Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys
Call to Order
Mr. Haskins called the meeting to order at 3:02 p.m.
Minutes
The draft minutes from the June 17, 2026, meeting were previously posted and circulated to Council. A motion was made and seconded and by voice vote, the minutes were approved as submitted.
Chairman’s Report
Mr. Haskins commended CASC staff on the launch of the 2026 CASC training program at the VACA Summer Program.
Administrator’s Report
Mr. Casey reviewed the agenda items:
Old Business
CATF Update
Mr. Casey reviewed the CATF balance sheet reflecting account activity through June 30, 2026.
2026 Spring Institute Reimbursement Update
Mr. Casey reviewed the CASC reimbursements, including the audits of the Spring Institute reimbursements for 2025. Mr. Casey commended the jurisdictions who cooperated with the audits and noted that all offices complied with the 2025 audits.
Mr. Casey also shared CASC’s plan for reimbursements in 2027. Mr. Casey shared that CASC will reimburse at the State Per Diem Rates for Meals and IRS mileage rates as of June 1, 2026, unless they are reduced. If the meal or mileage rates go up, CASC will not increase its reimbursements. That plan is designed to protect CASC’s budgeting, which is done a year in advance.
After CASC set its budget, the Department of Accounts (DOA) that the IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate increased to $0.76 per mile, effective July 1, 2026. However, the IRS did not publish the updated rate until July 13, 2026, and DOA did not become aware of the change until Friday, July 17, 2026. Please note that mileage reimbursement for the Spring Institute will remain capped at $0.725 per mile, which was last year’s approved rate.
2030 Spring Institute April 14-17, 2030: Location: Norfolk, Va.
Mr. Casey shared that the location for the 2030 Spring Institute, April 14-17, will be Norfolk, Va. Mr. Casey indicated that CASC attempted to contract with the new Kalahari Resort that is opening next year, but they are already fully booked for April of 2030.
New Business
2028 Executive Program Location
Mr. Casey shared that the Hotel24 South in Staunton has won the bid for the November 19-December 1, 2028, Executive Program.
2029 Executive Program Location
Regarding the November 28 -30, 2029, Executive Program, the members of the body suggested potential locations including Roanoke and Bath County. CASC will examine options and availability in those locations in that year.
VACA Summer Program 2026
Mr. Casey reviewed the CASC Training Agenda and Attendance for this program.
Proposed CASC Budget for FY2027
Mr. Casey presented the proposed budget approved in June by the CASC finance committee to the Council. A motion was made and seconded and by voice vote of the council, the proposed FY2027 CASC budget was approved.
FY2027 Budget: Item 382 – CASC Report on Statewide E-Discovery System
Mr. Casey shared that in its FY2027 Budget, HB30, the General Assembly included a specific directive to CASC as follows:
“The Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Services Council shall provide to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, no later than November 15, 2026, a report with options, including associated costs and any necessary statutory changes, for establishing shared infrastructure for electronic storage and dissemination of discovery materials, including approaches and funding strategies used in the other states, with the goal of leveraging economies of scale and improving the uniformity of IT infrastructure and discovery practices in Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices across the state.”
Mr. Casey shared that CASC immediately began complying with this directive in June by reaching out to the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA), the Compensation Board, and by convening a workgroup of experienced prosecutors and IT professionals.
CASC has also been reaching out to prosecutor agencies in other states to collect information and learn how other states approach this issue. CASC currently plans to develop an RFI based on other states’ experiences and then submit it via eVA to gather potential costs. CASC will also explore the potential costs of a state-hosted system through VITA. CASC’s goal is to have a draft report by October 15.
New CASC “Train the Trainer” Program
Mr. Casey reviewed CASC’s new “Train the Trainer” program and its plan for future faculty development for its permanent programs, such as Homicide, Trauma to Trial, Top Gun, and other such programs. At our meeting in June, CASC staff agreed that we need a better, more formalized process for developing and selecting new faculty for our “permanent” faculties (Top Gun, Trauma to Trial, Homicide, etc.) While Trial Ad has a formal process already, most of our other programs have had an informal system for many years, and we decided that we need to establish a formal system. This system would also allow us to set standards for what we expect from our faculty members as far as materials, delivery, conduct and student interactions.
To do this, CASC will launch a new “Train the Trainer” program in 2027 that will be taught by CASC Deputy Director Nancy Oglesby, Alexandria Deputy CA David Lord, and Elliott Casey, CASC Director. The program will be designed for both potential new faculty as well as existing faculty. The goal will be for all existing faculty to eventually go through this training. This training will focus on material development, classroom presentation, and also establish CASC standards for presentation materials, use of AI and technology, addressing student learning issues and use of A/V equipment (such as microphones) and other such issues.
For future faculty, CASC will recommend that any new permanent faculty member first complete both the “Train the Trainer” program and also present at one of our “open” conferences, Spring Institute, the Summer Program, CIIFER, or the Executive Program. Based on their performance at both the live program and the training program, they may be considered for full-time faculty.
Public Comment
The floor was opened for public comment. There was no public comment.
Adjournment
There being no further business before Council, the meeting adjourned at 3:39 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 12:00 p.m., at the CASC offices at Truist Place, 919 E. Main Street, Suite 1250, Richmond.