Professional Development

This program will provide a full day of training for both newer and more experienced prosecutors on the law, procedure, practical issues, and ethical considerations involved in negotiating and entering pleas, which account for 98% of all criminal convictions in North Carolina. In addition to covering the basic statutory requirements and permissible subjects for a plea deal, this program will also address a number of more complex and real-world issues that arise in this area. Advanced topics will include pleading in and working with cooperating defendants, responding to a withdrawal or breach, the interplay between state and federal sentencing, and post-conviction issues. Finally, an interactive workshop session will discuss and compare plea alternatives for a variety of sample cases. If you’ve ever made a plea deal and then wondered “was that the right resolution…?” this program is for you.

Do you inwardly brace yourself when a financial exploitation case hits your desk?  It’s okay to admit it. Often prosecutors and law enforcement care deeply about these vulnerable victims but are frustrated by the complex issues inherent in these cases, including:

1. The overlap between civil and criminal law;
2. Complicated financial analysis;
3. Reluctant or deceased victims;
4. Medical, psychological, or emotional issues;
5. Common defenses like consent and lack of intent; and
6. The different priorities of parties involved (APS, family members, providers…)

This year at Break the Silence we will address each one of these challenges head-on. Participants will learn from a medical provider, financial crime investigators, a civil attorney, prosecutors, and even receive training from the National White Collar Crime Center on an Excel tool that will make analyzing these cases easier.

Our goal is for you to leave this training equipped with the information and confidence to handle this unique caseload.

As the juvenile court system keeps evolving, it’s crucial for law enforcement professionals and other allied professionals to stay up to date with the legal changes regarding juvenile matters. This one-day training session will mainly focus on juvenile procedures, investigations, the roles of School Resource Officers, “Raise the Age” information, and a juvenile law update. Additionally, community organizations will be present to provide law enforcement officers with information about the services they offer to juvenile offenders

This course will provide an overview of how to prosecute impaired driving when the drug is not alcohol. As drug-impaired driving becomes more prevalent, this class will prepare you to investigate roadside and win in court.

The NC District Attorneys Association (NCDAA) meeting is a statewide training program devoted exclusively to prosecutors, and it is approved by the NC State Bar to provide 12 hours of continuing legal education credit, including 2 hours of Ethics and 1 hour each of Technology and Professional Wellbeing. NCDAA calls upon the collective skills of the State’s most experienced criminal law experts, guest speakers, top prosecutors, and others with the required depth of knowledge to provide a comprehensive continuing legal education program.

No matter what type of case they handle, prosecutors are likely to encounter defendants who have mental health issues. Whether District Court or Superior Court, incapable to proceed or insane, the intersection of the criminal court system and the mental health system is both incredibly important and extremely confusing. This one-day course will help prosecutors navigate the labyrinth of managing defendants who may be dealing with mental health issues.