Training & Events
Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome) Part 1
Presenters:
Evan Matshes MD FRCPC, Medical Director & Chief Forensic Pathologist at NAAG Forensic PC, San Diego ,CA
This session is the first of a two part series covering Abusive Head Trauma (AHT), including Shaken Baby Syndrome— which most often involves shaking, blunt impact, or a combination of both in infants and young children, which can lead to neurological injury. Dr. Matshes is a Board Certified Anatomic and Forensic Pathologist and the Medical Director at NAAG Forensic PC. His presentation will cover topics such as the Historical Underpinnings of AHT (1968-1987), The Pediatric Forensic Autopsy, Clinical Markers Suggestive of AHT or Abuse and working with Experts in AHT or abuse cases.
The second part will be presented on April 24th, 2024 from 3:00-4:30PM EST will cover litigation strategies when dealing with an AHT or Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnosis.
Defense Team Toolkit
Presenters:
Kaylyn Christian, Director of Mitigation, Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth Wood-Bennett, Esq, PDAP's Assistant Training Director for Eastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
This session will cover the tools that capital defense teams use to collect social history information and the best document gathering practices. If you have interns working in your office, this would be a great session for them to attend as we will cover how to start collecting and organizing the information from the case outset.
De-Death Presentations to District Attorneys
Presenters:
James Berardinelli, Esq., Chief of Appeals at the Montgomery County Public Defender, PA
Eileen J. Hurley, Esq, Founding Member of The Law Office of Eileen J. Hurley LLC, Philadelphia, PA
Annual Bring Your Own Case (BYOC) Training
Participating teams will workshop their capital case with nationally renowned experts while earning 801 CLE credits. Sessions cover topics like mental health, Intellectual Disability, pretrial motions practice, race in your case & much more.
Eyewitness Identifications
Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA
Interrogations & False Confessions
Presenters:
Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA
George Cronin, Retired Pennsylvania State Police Officer, Expert in Non-Coercive Investigative Interviews, Philadelphia, PA
Ballistics & Gun Shot Residue
Presenters:
Frederick M. Wentling, Former Head of the PSP Ballistics Unit, Lebanon, PA
Christopher Palenik, Vice President and Senior Research Microscopist at Microtrace LLC, Elgin, IL
Cellphone Forensics II: Location Data
Presenters:
Jason Silva, Managing Director - Admitted & Certified Digital Forensic Examiner, Cornerstone Discovery, Philadelphia, PA
Joseph Sierra, Certified & Admitted Digital Forensic Examiner, Cornerstone Discovery, Philadelphia, PA
Secondary Trauma & Self-Care (Mental Health Awareness Month)
Presenters:
Sylvia Brown, Clinical Social Worker & Therapist, Philadelphia, PA
Sara Jacobson, Executive Director, Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cellphone Forensics I: Devices
Presenters:
Jason Silva, Managing Director - Admitted & Certified Digital Forensic Examiner, Cornerstone Discovery, Philadelphia, PA
Joseph Sierra, Certified & Admitted Digital Forensic Examiner, Cornerstone Discovery, Philadelphia, PA
Victim Outreach/DIVO
Presenter: Tammy Krause, National Defense-Victim Outreach Co-Coordinator for the Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel Project, Harrisonburg, VA
Victim Impact Litigation
Presenter: Marc Bookman, Esq., Litigation Director of ACCR, Philadelphia, PA
PCRA II: Shinn v. Ramirez and BYO Case
Presenter: Daniel Silverman, Esq., Private Practice Defense Attorney and full time faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Highly Aggravated Cases
Presenters:
Tamara Brady, Esq., Former Chief Trial Deputy, Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, Greeley, CORussell Stetler, Former National Mitigation Coordinator, Berkeley, CAHenderson Hill, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney, Capital Punishment Project, American Civil Liberties Union, Durham, NC
Junk Science
Presenter: Chris Fabricant, Esq., Director of Strategic Litigation, The Innocence Project, Brooklyn, NY
PCRA I: Nuts and Bolts of PCRA
Presenter: Daniel Silverman, Esq., Private Practice Defense Attorney and full time faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Capital Defense Team Dynamics
Presenters:
Shawn Nolan, Esq., Chief, Capital Habeas Unit, Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaMarc Bookman, Esq., Litigation Director at The Atlantic Center, Philadelphia, PALela Hubbard, LMSW, Mitigation Specialist and DVO Practitioner, Jackson, MSRachel Primo, Mitigation Investigator, Capital Habeas Unit, Philadelphia, PA (not pictured)Kaylyn Christian, Mitigation Services Coordinator at The Atlantic Center, Philadelphia, PA
Mental Health Experts: Selection, Prep & Cross
Presenter: Jennifer Friedman, Esq., Federal Defender at the Capital Habeas Unit, Central District of Los Angeles, CA
Mitigation & Storytelling
Presenter: Kaylyn Christian, Mitigation Services Coordinator at ACCR, Philadelphia, PA
Persuasive Speaking & Writing
Presenter: Marc Bookman, Esq., Litigation Director of ACCR, Philadelphia, PA
The Importance of Trauma
Presenter: Sean O’Brien, Professor of Law, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, MO
Mental Health Issues in Capital Cases
Presenter: Russell Stetler, Former National Mitigation Coordinator, Berkeley, CA
Jury Questionnaires and Jury Instructions
Presenter: Marc Bookman, Esq., Litigation Director of ACCR, Philadelphia, PA
Getting Started on Capital Cases: What To Do When You Get The Call
Presenter: E.J. Rymsza, Esq., Partner at Miele & Rymsza, P.C., Central Pennsylvania
Good Lawyering in Capital Cases: A View from the Bench
Presenters: The Honorable Luis Felipe Restrepo, Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaThe Honorable Timothy J. Sullivan, Magistrate Judge, District Court for the District of MarylandThe Honorable Theodore A. McKee, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Introduction to DNA
Presenter: Jennifer Friedman, Esq., Federal Defender at the Capital Habeas Unit, Central District of Los Angeles, CA
Constitutional Capital Voir Dire: The Morgan v. Illinois Method
Presenter: Marc Bookman, Esq., Litigation Director of ACCR, Philadelphia, PA
Getting the Plea Down: Resolving Your Capital Case
Presenters: Patrick Egan, Esq., Partner at Fox Rothschild, LLP, Philadelphia, PATony Ricco, Esq., Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law, New York City, NYKristin Rice, Esq., Chief Public Defender, Adams County, PA
COVID Issues: Continuance Motions, Litigation Related to Delay, and Backlogs
Presenters: Dana Cook, MSW, National Mitigation Coordinator, Philadelphia, PACarol Marciano, Esq., Deputy Public Defender, Lehigh County, PAKate Hickman, Esq., Chief Deputy Public Defender, Washoe County, NV