Event Calendar

Friday, November 17, 2023

36th Annual Conference and Criminal Defense Seminar

Start Date: 11/30/2023 8:30 AM EST
End Date: 11/30/2023 5:15 PM EST

Venue Name: The Metropolitan Club

Location:
50 E. Rivercenter Blvd
or via Live Stream (Youtube)
Covington, KY  United States 

Organization Name: KACDL

Contact:
Donna Brown
Email: director@kacdl.net
Phone: (502) 594-1375

 
36th Annual Conference & Criminal Defense Seminar
 OFFERED IN PERSON AND VIA LIVE STREAM!
                               
Location: The Metropolitan Club, Covington, KY
Thursday,  November 30, 2023

6.5 CLE Total Credit; 2 Ethics Credit, Approved KY

*OH cle is pending and will only be offered in person


 

8:30 am       
Registration and Check In. 


8:35  am
Welcome/Opening Remarks 
Whitney Lawson, KACDL President


Whitney True Lawson was born in Frankfort, Kentucky and attended Franklin County Public Schools until she graduated from Western Hills High School with a 4.0 GPA.  Thereafter, she attended Transylvania University and graduated, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in German.  While at Transylvania University, she was an active member of her sorority, Phi Mu. Between her junior and senior year at Transylvania University, she interned with former United States Representative, A.B. Chandler, in his Washington, D.C. office.  Witnessing the legislative process up-close encouraged her to pursue a law degree.
 
After Transylvania University, she attended the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) While studying at University of Louisville, Whitney was a member of University of Louisville Law Review and University of Louisville Moot Court Board.  She participated in several moot court competitions, including two prestigious Moot Court Competitions involving Trademark Law.  She was a semi-finalist at the Pirtle-Washer Oral Argument Trademark Competition in 2011.  Also, Whitney and her partner won the national Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C., where they competed against law schools from across the United States.
 
After law school, Whitney moved to Frankfort with her husband, Philip C. Lawson, where she began practicing with the firm and her father, J. Guthrie True.  Whitney specializes in cases involving state criminal law, federal criminal law, domestic relations, disability law, and administrative law.  She has represented clients throughout the judicial process, including and through jury trial.  Her most recent high-profile case involved her representation of Toby Curtsinger, the main defendant involved with the “Pappy-gate” case before the Franklin Circuit Court.  She has also represented clients before the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
 
Additionally, Whitney has been appointed as a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, which is a small panel of private lawyers appointed by the court to represent indigent clients in criminal cases before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
 
Outside of her law practice, Whitney is a member of First United Methodist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky, where she serves as the chairman of the Wesley Center Day School Committee. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their son, exercising, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.
 
You may reach Whitney at president@kacdl.net.
 
8:45  am - 9;45 am
Jury Selection 
Becky Jones

For nearly three decades, Becky has applied her education, training and experience in communications, marketing, and business administration to the field of trial consulting. 

She has coordinated, moderated, and analyzed hundreds of focus discussion groups, research projects, and mock trials and worked on hundreds of cases across the country for defense and plaintiff attorneys. Becky has assisted attorneys throughout the litigation process from theme development, trial strategy, mediation & settlement negotiations, voir dire preparation, jury selection, witness preparation, and developing opening statements & closing arguments.

Read Becky's Full CV here


9:45  am -10 am 
Break


10:00  am - 11:30 am
Digital Forensics with Play by Play Data Accessing
Presented by Mike Littrell, Experienced Digital Forensics Examiner, former Cyber Crime Detective, with extensive teaching and training experience. 2023 KACDL Annual Conference Sponsor Cyber Agents, LLC

A native of Lexington, Michael Littrell did not take a traditional path to digital forensics.  Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University, and after being a patrol officer, and detective for the Georgetown Police Department, Michael earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from EKU.  Michael left law enforcement full-time for four years where he started and taught in the criminal justice program at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, while finishing his doctorate in applied sociology.  Michael started in digital forensics as his role as a detective for the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General.  During his tenure there, Michael conducted more than 1500 cell phone extractions and examinations, and more than 200 computer forensics examinations. After 18 years in law enforcement, Michael joined Cyber Agents as a digital forensic examiner in January 2022.

Michael has testified as witness hundreds of times, and in the last seven years has testified as an expert witness dozens of times in both state and federal courts. After receiving hundreds of hours of training and education in digital forensics, Michael maintains multiple certifications in both computer and mobile device forensics. Michael loves to give back to the digital forensics’ community by volunteering as a course developer, instructor, and peer coach for new forensic examiners with the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists.  Michael also teaches several college courses in sociology, criminal justice, and digital forensics. Michael recently co-authored a book chapter, “Law Enforcement Challenges to Gathering Intelligence in the Street: The Fourth Amendment.”

Linkedin.com/in/michaelwlittrell
Email Mike     Download CV

 


11:30 am -12:30 pm
Awards Luncheon
Presented by KACDL President, Whitney True Lawson


 


12:30  pm - 1:30 pm
Identifying Conflicts in Criminal Cases, Ethics
Presented by B. Scott West, 2019 KACDL President, 2016-2022 KACDL Education Chair, Deputy Public Advocate for Ky DPA, KBA Ethics Committee

B. Scott West is the Deputy Public Advocate for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy in Frankfort, Kentucky; prior to that, Scott was the General Counsel for the agency from 2011 through October, 2017.  He has been the Bluegrass Regional Manager in the Richmond Field Office, Directing Attorney for the Murray Field Office, and a staff attorney in the Hazard Field Office.  He is the recipient of the 2017 Kentucky Bar Association’s Thomas B. Spain CLE Award (which he received for his presentations for the Kentucky Law Update), the 2015 KBA Bruce K. Davis Bar Service Award, the 2014 Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Frank E. Haddad, Jr. Award, and 2011 DPA Gideon Award, 2011.  He is a member of the KBA Ethics Committee and is a former President of the KACDL.  Prior to joining DPA in 1999, Scott was an attorney and a senior attorney at Texaco Inc. in Houston, Texas, from 1988 through 1998, where he was involved in both corporate litigation and general corporate work.  He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky Law School (1988), and Vanderbilt University (1985).  He is married to Beverley (a social worker). They live in Richmond.
 


1:30  pm - 1:45 pm
Break


 


1:45  pm - 2:45 pm
RCr 11.42 and Appeals Cases (Ethics)


Presented  by Judge Pamela Goodwine5th Appellate District, Division 1 Kentucky Court of Appeals; Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse 

2:45 pm -3:45 pm
Discussing Batson Issues in Kentucky's Courtrooms


Discussion with the former prosecutor Joe Gutmann and Mr.  James Kirkland Batson, defendant and author of War on Jails: Enlighten.

Moderated by Judge Pamela Goodwine, 
5th Appellate District, Division 1 Kentucky Court of Appeals; Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse 

Judge Goodwine was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in November 2018 to serve Division 1 of the 5th Appellate District. Before her election to the Court of Appeals, Judge Goodwine was Chief Regional Circuit Judge for Fayette County. She served as a circuit court judge since November of 2003. She served as a district court judge from August of 1999 until November of 2003.

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky, Carol Martin Gatton College of Business in 1991. She graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Law in 1994. She was admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in October 1994. She was in private practice with the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs from 1994 until her appointment to the district court bench in August of 1999. Her primary practice area was labor and employment law.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Goodwine chaired the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. She also served as a commissioner of that agency. Judge Goodwine was inducted into the Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics Alumni Hall of Fame in February 2000. She was named the Fayette County Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer in May 2001. On September 21, 2012, Judge Goodwine received the Henry V. Pennington Trial Judge of the Year Award from the Kentucky Justice Association. Judge Goodwine also served as a Fayette County Drug Court judge from 2011 until her election to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. In March of 2018, Judge Goodwine received the 2018 “Women Making History” Award from the Kentucky Commission on Women and in April of 2018, she received the Carl Beshear, “Walking by Faith” Award from the Carter G. Woodson Academy.

Judge Goodwine is married to Lee A. Padgett, Jr. They have two children, six grandchildren, and a 12-year-old German Shepherd named Kobe. In June 2012, Judge Goodwine was certified as a Jazzercise fitness instructor. She enjoys interior design, watching sports and teaching fitness classes.

Joseph P. Gutmann is a 1978 graduate of the University of Louisville (BS Political Science) and a 1981 graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He has been a member of the Kentucky Bar since 1981.  For almost 20 years he was an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Jefferson County, Kentucky handling approximately 2,000 felony cases. His cases included the United States Supreme Court Landmark Case of Batson v. Kentucky.  He is a member of the Federal and Supreme Court Bar. In 200l he changed careers to become a high school teacher at Central High School in Louisville.  He has been the Law and Government Magnet Program Director, since 2005.  During his career he has mentored numerous high school and college students who have become lawyers and professionals within the Criminal Justice system. He has been a part time faculty member at the University of Louisville since 1984, teaching in the Criminal Justice, Paralegal Studies and Political Science Departments. In 2010, he was named National “Street Law Educator of the Year”. He has been the recognized for his work at Central by the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law (Dean’s Service Award), Louisville Bar Association (Justice Martin E. Johnstone Award, Trailblazer Award) and Kentucky Bar Association (Nathaniel Harper Award).
 
 


3:45  pm - 4:45 pm

Victory Panel 

KACDL victory panel members will give a case brief, discuss strategy implemented at and will provide insights they learned from their recent trial wins. 
 

Jeb Dennis is the 2023 KACDL Clarence Darrow Prodigy Award Recipient and a KACDL Public Attorney Member. He practices out of the DPA Bowling Green North Trial Office. He is from Cranford, New Jersey. Jeb moved to Durham, North Carolina to attend Duke University School of Law. Throughout his time at Duke, he was honored with the Pro Bono All Star Award for logging the most pro bono hours in his graduating class. Immediately upon graduation, Jeb spent five years as an Assistant Public Defender in Durham, North Carolina, handled over 2,600 cases during his tenure, while gaining valuable trial experiences in North Carolina District and Superior Court. He and his wife moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in late 2021 and he promptly applied to be a public defender. He has been happily working in the Bowling Green North Trial office for the past 18 months.

The Case: Jeb Dennis had his first Kentucky jury trial as first chair - he represented a client in Warren Circuit Court, who was charged with attempted unlawful transaction with a minor 1st degree for responding to a "sting" operation akin to Dateline's “To Catch a Predator.” The client spent 344 days in custody awaiting trial. With assistance from Jason Pfeil, Jeb was able to succeed in some key pretrial advocacy, getting some problematic parts of his client's statement to police redacted and later successfully arguing for an entrapment instruction. The offer was 7 years on a plea of guilty, with the prosecution opposed to probation. The offer was refused, the case went to trial, and Jeb walked his client out the door with a complete acquittal.

Zanda Myers, KACDL Private Attorney Member, has successfully defended many cases before juries in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  She has secured not guilty verdicts on Robbery, Strangulation, Drug Trafficking, DUI, Disorderly Conduct, Terroristic Threatening and Menacing.  Having handled cases in 52 of Kentucky's 120 counties, Mrs. Myers has handled well over 1,500 cases in her 17+ years of experience as a trial attorney.  She is a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute and also a member of the National Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. 

The case: out of Allen Circuit. 19–CR-134. The jury found the client guilty of trafficking meth but rejected PFO. The client had 4 prior felonies for which he has served a continuous sentence, Ms. Myers was able to get the PFO1 instruction knocked down to PFO2. By emphasizing through opening and closing remarks that Justice and reaching a just result was solely in their hands and through enough mitigation in sentencing, the jury simply rejected the PFO all together. . 
 
Christopher Spedding, KACDL Private Attorney Member, graduated from the University of Louisville School of Law, Upon graduation, he practiced law in Louisville for 14 years. In 2006, Christopher moved back to Lexington and opened his own criminal defense practice. Although his criminal defense practice is based in downtown Lexington (Fayette County), he serves clients throughout the region. It is not uncommon for him to represent criminal defendants in any of the surrounding counties, including Anderson, Boyle, Bourbon, Clark, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Montgomery, Scott, Shelby and Woodford.

The case: Case No. 19-CR-165.  In 2018, Christopher was retained to defend a young man who at the time was a University of Kentucky (UK) student and who had struck a four-year-old with his car following a UK football game. The child died after being struck, which resulted in charges of reckless homicide and driving under the influence (DUI). Christopher worked with Louisville attorney Steve Schroering and Lexington attorney Eric Ray to prepare a robust defense for the client. After a four-day trial, the jury unanimously determined that the client was not guilty of reckless homicide and chose to convict only on the DUI charge. The client was fined $500 by the judge and released. Christopher's comments after the trail to media resources: "My job as a defense attorney is to work tirelessly on behalf of my clients, using all the evidence and testimony to get the best result on their behalf. This kind of defense is guaranteed under the United States Constitution. In this case, I solicited the assistance of two highly capable attorneys. Together, we were able to prove that this situation was the result of a terrible, tragic accident, and that our client was not guilty."


4:45  pm - 5:00 pm Closing Remarks
 


 




Registration Fees:

 

 

Private Defense Attorney Member*

Private Defense Attorney Non Member*

Private Defense Associate Member  

Public Defense Attorney/Staff*

Law Student Member*

Student Non Member

Life  Member**

Luncheon***  Parking***

$200

$400

$100

$No Charge to Attendee

$0

$50

$125 $40  $6

Mission Focused Offering!

KACDL is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with DPA and LMPD that brings this full day of education at no cost to attendee to All DPA and Louisville Metro Public Defender Employees! Live Stream or In Person 
Registration Required. KACDL Membership not required. No promocode necessary.

*If you are a DPA/LMPD active, listed Conflict Attorney, use code "CONFLICTANNUAL" to receive $100 off registration. Registration Required. KACDL Membership not required. Promocode necessary. You must be an active conflict attorney of record to use. Unauthorized/Unsubstantiated use of code will result in a chargeback of $100 to registeree.

**If you are a Life/Sustaining Member and also a Public Defender, please contact us to process your registration. There will be no charge to you.

***LUNCHEON AND PARKING NOT INCLUDED IN CLE REGISTRATION FEES! THESE ARE OPTIONAL ADD ONS. If you are a public defender attending the CLE in person and desire to add these options, we strongly advise you to get permission from  DPA/LMPD before doing so. 

 

 

Handouts: All handout materials are in digital form and are provided 24 hrs in advance via a secured dropbox link. 

CLE: In Person: 6.5 hrs, including 2 ethics pending KY/OH   Live Stream: KY only

Conference Brochure: Download Here  

Hotel: Cincinnati Marriott River Center Reservations can be made Until Nov 1, 2023 at this web address:
https://book.passkey.com/go/kyassoccriminaldefense

Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be received by KACDL 96 hours in advance of event start date to receive credit  or full refund. Substitutions are allowed.

Onsite Sponsors/Vendors Opportunites: 

Exhibitor/Vendor Packet. Please mark your desired option, sign and mail check to  KACDL, PO Box 66, Hebron, KY 41048. 

             
Thank you to our sponsors!

 

Exclusive KACDL Member Exhibitor:


 

Exclusive Vendor Partner:


 

Live Stream Partner: Thank you to Suhre & Associates for lending us their Sling Studio!





KAMI HUNT, KACDL Live Stream Coordinator

After graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2015, Kami served as an intern at a local television station but quickly became interested in the marketing and advertising world, specifically in the area of legal marketing. Kami currently serves Suhre & Associates as their Marketing Coordinator. We are very grateful that she lends her talents and time to us too. 

 

Online Registration

Registration is Closed
Closed: 11/30/2023 8:00 AM

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