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May 7, 2014

11:30AM
Henrico Sheriff’s Office

Council Members Present
Officers:
Nancy G. Parr (Chesapeake), First Vice Chairman
LaBravia J. Jenkins (Fredericksburg), Second Vice Chairman
Eric Olsen (Stafford County), Secretary
Michael R. Doucette (Lynchburg), Past Chairman

Council District Representatives:

1.   LaBravia J. Jenkins (Fredericksburg)
2.   Colin D. Stolle (Virginia Beach)
3.   Cassandra S. Conover (Petersburg)
5.   Denise Lunsford (Albemarle County)
6.   Donald S. Caldwell (Roanoke City)
9.   Christian E. Rehak (Radford)
10. Alexander R. Iden (Winchester)

Other Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Present
Joel R. Branscom (Botetourt County)
Robert B. Beasley (Powhatan County)
Nathan R. Green (Williamsburg/James City County)
Eric L. Olsen (Stafford County)
Gregory D. Underwood (Norfolk)
Holly Smith (Gloucester)
Patricia T. Watson (Greensville/Emporia)
Jeffrey W. Haislip (Fluvanna County)
James R. Ennis (Prince Edward County)
Michael Newman (Danville)
Colin Stolle (Virginia Beach)
Theo K. Stamos (Arlington/Falls Church)
Ross P. Spicer (Frederick County)
Shannon Taylor (Henrico County)

Guests
Linda Bryant, Deputy Attorney General

CASC Staff Present
Jane Sherman Chambers
Lawrence A. Martin
Shannon M. Weist
Call to Order
Ms. Parr called the meeting to order at 11:34 a.m.

Minutes
The draft minutes from the March 30, 2014, meeting were previously posted and circulated to Council.  The minutes were approved as submitted.

Chairman’s Report
None.

Administrator’s Report
Ms. Chambers reviewed the agenda items:

Old Business

Abbott Lab Update: Mr. Caldwell reported that no resolution has been reached but a meeting with the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees has been scheduled for May 20, 2014.

Spring Institute Update:
Ms. Weist reported that 690 people registered for the Spring Institute training held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott from March 30 – April 2, 2014.  In addition to Commonwealth’s Attorneys and their assistants, the training was attended by 20 attorneys from the Office of the Attorney General, 4 attorneys from the Virginia State Police, and 1 attorney each from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy, the Parole Board and the T.C. Williams School of Law.   CASC offered 18 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit.  Ninety-four per cent of the evaluations received rated the training as Good or Excellent overall.

Curriculum Retreat Update:  Ms. Chambers announced that the 2014 Curriculum Retreat will be held on Thursday, September 4 at 1:00 p.m. through Friday, September 5 at noon.  It will be held at The Tides Inn in Irvington.  This retreat is funded by the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys.

CASC Training Program Updates:

Annual Summer Conference – Ms. Weist reported that the Summer Conference will be held in Virginia Beach at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in conjunction with the 75th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys and will feature a national speaker on prosecutorial ethics.

Homicide Program – Ms. Chambers reported that she and Mr. Martin held a conference call with Melissa Hoy from Chesterfield on May 30. Ms. Hoy has agreed to take the lead on developing a new Homicide program.  She was on the original Homicide faculty back in 2000.  Projected dates:  Monday, November 17 through Thursday, November 20, 2014.  Location:  Williamsburg.  Ms. Chambers anticipates training approximately 35 students, all of whom will be prosecutors.  CASC will pay for lodging and meals.   Mr. Martin will update agenda and then will start to locate faculty.

Top Gun – Mr. Martin reported that fifty-one students have registered for Top Gun this year; a team training of investigators and prosecutors handling drug cases in Virginia. This will be the twenty-second year this training has been offered.  Trainers from Indiana have asked to attend this year’s program to help them develop their own Top Gun style training program.

DUI/DUID – Ms. Chambers reported that the next DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) training on May 22 in Dublin is full.  She also reported that there is still room in DUID in Waynesboro on July 5, 2014.

Advanced Gang – Ms. Chambers reminded those present that an Advanced Gang prosecution training will be held June 18 – 19, 2014 in Staunton.  CASC is paying for lodging, meals, mileage and parking.  Currently 24 people have registered for the 50 available slots, so she encourages Commonwealth’s Attorneys to send their assistants to this valuable training.

Trial Ad – Mr.  Martin reported that the Trial Advocacy training to be held at the William and Mary Law School, June 22 – 27, 2014 has 40 students enrolled who were selected after an application process. This training is funded by a federal grant under the Children’s Justice Act.  It uses an Abusive Head Trauma case as the basis for this jury trial training.

iPad for Prosecutors – Ms. Chambers reported that iPad for Prosecutors has been scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2014, at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Lynchburg.

Trauma to Trial – Ms. Weist reported that registration has opened for Trauma to Trial:  Investigating and Prosecuting Adult Non-Stranger Sexual Assault Cases, to be held in Staunton, Virginia from October 6 -10, 2014.  The deadline for applications for this training is July 7.

Red Flag – Mr. Martin reported that this training on prosecuting insurance fraud cases, funded by the Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Program, will be held this year from September 30 – October 3, 2014 at Mariners Landing, Huddleston, Virginia.  Ms. Taylor reported that she attended Red Flag last year.  She found it very worthwhile and encouraged members to consider attending.

Executive Program –Ms. Chambers advised that this year’s Executive Program for Commonwealth’s Attorneys and their Chief Deputies will be held December 4 – 6, 2014 at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton.

New Business
None.

Adjournment
There being no further business before Council, the meeting adjourned at 11:58 a.m.  The next regularly scheduled meeting is June 11, 2014, 11:30 a.m., at the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room.