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May 2, 2012

11:30AM
Henrico Sheriff’s Office

Council Members Present
Officers:
David N. Grimes (Pittsylvania County), Chairman
Michael R. Doucette (Lynchburg), First Vice Chairman
Raymond F. Morrogh (Fairfax), Secretary
Council District Representatives:
LaBravia J. Jenkins (Fredericksburg)
Nancy G. Parr (Chesapeake)
Harvey L. Bryant (Virginia Beach)
Robert L. Bushnell (Henry County)
William W. Davenport (Chesterfield County)
Raymond F. Morrogh (Fairfax County)

Other Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Present
Nathan R. Green (Williamsburg/James City County)
E.M. Wright, Jr. (Buckingham County)
James E. Plowman (Loudoun County)
William F. Neely (Spotsylvania County)
Shannon Taylor (Henrico County)
Gregory D. Underwood (Norfolk)

CASC Staff Present
Robert Q. Harris
Jane Sherman Chambers
Marian M. Heard

Call to Order
Mr. Grimes called the meeting to order at 11:32 a.m.

Minutes
The draft minutes from the April 15, 2012, meeting were previously posted and circulated to Council.  The minutes were approved as submitted.

 

Chairman’s Report
None.

Administrator’s Report
Mr. Harris reviewed the agenda items:

Old Business

2012 Spring Institute – recap
Mr. Harris reported over 660 people registered and attended Spring Institute.  The Waterside Marriott bill from Spring Institute was approximately $30,000 and the printing bill was about $13,000.  Registration and vendor fees will cover most of the expense.

2013 Spring Institute location
Mr. Harris reported that a contract with the Richmond Marriott has been signed for next year’s Spring Institute which will be held from March 24 – 27, 2013.  The contract reserves 300 rooms per night at the Marriott and overflow rooms are available at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn.  Ms. Chambers requested a recommendation for the number of overflow rooms needed.  It was agreed that CASC should get as many overflow rooms as possible without risk of penalty.

Generating funds by opening training to out-of-state prosecutors
Mr. Grimes again raised the idea of generating funds to support training programs by opening some CASC events to prosecutors from out-of-state.  Mr. Grimes asked for volunteers to work with CASC staff to determine which programs might be appropriate for this and how to make it work.  Members discussed asking NDAA to help advertise although NDAA also offers training programs and wants to promote their own programming.  Mr. Harris offered to contact other states to determine if there would be an interest.   A motion was made, seconded and unanimously passed for Mr. Harris to explore the possibility of opening programs to other prosecutors and to report back to Council at the next meeting.

New Business

2012 VACA Annual Summer Training Program
Mr. Harris reported that 3 hours of ethics CLE’s will be offered at the annual summer conference.  Ethics, the Movie (which is a live presentation with video demonstration) will be presented for 3 hours during the morning of Friday, August 3, 2012.   Richard Wintory again will present the Supreme Court Update.  VACA already has approved a request to fund these portions of the program.  Members discussed other possible training topics for the program.

Ms. Parr raised a question about existing policy for people attending Spring Institute who are not employed in a Commonwealth Attorney’s Office or in the Attorney General’s Office.  She noted seeing an individual who had asked to attend because he trains police officers.  Mr. Harris offered to draft guidelines for attendance at CASC training programs for review and approval of Council.

Mr. Doucette reported that there was a lot of positive response to the “Technology in the Courtroom” presentation and suggested it would be appropriate to consider a stand-alone program to be self-financed with registration fees.   He would like to start this in Lynchburg with a small number of students, perhaps 25.   He envisions a very ‘hands on’ 3-day program.  Mr. Harris observed that people would have to pay their own lodging, meals, etc.  Everyone would have to bring their own iPad.  Mr. Green pointed out that case management vendors in Norfolk for the Spring Institute all reported that their products are not based on Apple’s proprietary software and therefore may not work smoothly with iPads; the case management products do work well with the Samsung tablet.   After discussion, it was agreed that the training would start with iPads because that is where the expertise currently is available.   Mr. Harris recommended September as a possible time for this program.
Adjournment
There being no further business before Council, the meeting adjourned at 12:02 p.m.  The next regularly scheduled meeting is June 13, 2012, 11:30 a.m., at the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room. 

The scheduled meeting location was unavailable and attendees were redirected to the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ office conference room.