Description
Join a distinguished group of speakers — including prosecutors, defense attorneys and representation from the bench — for the 2021 Criminal Justice Section CLE.
8:55 Welcome and Introductions
9:00 Federal Sentencing Advocacy
William R. "Rob" Heroy, Goodman Carr Laughrun Levine & Greene PLLC, Charlotte
Judge Richard E. Myers II, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington
Jim Melo, Tin Fulton Walker & Owen PLLC, Raleigh
Start the day off with a discussion on effective advocacy for compassionate relief and sentencing arguments based on COVID-19.
10:00 Break
10:10 Dynamics of Diversity*
Chief Judge J.H. Corpening II, North Carolina District Court, Wilmington
Kendra A. Montgomery-Blinn, Durham County District Attorney's Office, Durham
Deonte' L. Thomas, Wake County Public Defender's Office, Raleigh
With an experienced panel, explore what judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys should know about competent communications with people from different backgrounds and experiences. Learn how to use supportive and compassionate language to engage with a diverse population and communities impacted by inequity.
11:10 Break
11:20 Do We Need to Try This Case Again?
G. Glenn Gerding, Office of the Appellate Defender, Durham
Review key points that prosecutors and defense attorneys must remember in protecting the record.
12:20 Lunch Break
12:50 Protest Cases, Police Encounters and Racial Justice
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Paul C. Ridgeway, North Carolina Superior Court, Raleigh
Jeffrey L. "Jeff" Nieman, North Carolina 15B District Attorney's Office, Chapel Hill
James E. Quander, Quander & Rubain PA, Winston-Salem
As we strive each day to ensure equal justice for all, a judge, an assistant district attorney and a criminal defense attorney share their experiences on this important topic.
1:50 Break
2:00 Making Connections in a Digital World‡
David Ball, Malekpour & Ball, Chapel Hill
Artemis H. Malekpour, Malekpour & Ball, Chapel Hill
Gain insight on how attorneys can strengthen their ability to connect with jurors, opposing counsel and others in this digital world.
3:00 Break
3:10 Should We File a Motion to Suppress?
Kelly M. Dagger, Ellis & Winters, Raleigh
Receive an overview of the important developments in federal and state case law regarding traffic stops.
4:10 Adjourn
*Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit
‡ Indicates portion providing Technology Training credit
Join a distinguished group of speakers — including prosecutors, defense attorneys and representation from the bench — for the 2021 Criminal Justice Section CLE.
David Ball, Ph.D, Malekpour & Ball, Chapel Hill
Click here for more information about David.
Chief Judge J.H. Corpening II, North Carolina District Court, Wilmington
Click here for more information about Judge Corpening.
Kelly Margolis Dagger is a trial and appellate lawyer focusing on business litigation, employment litigation, higher education, and criminal defense at Ellis & Winters LLP in Raleigh. She has tried cases in North Carolina state and federal courts, including civil and criminal matters. Ms. Dagger regularly appears in federal district court, the North Carolina Business Court, and other North Carolina state trial courts, where she represents clients in a wide range of pre- and post-trial matters. She also represents clients on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and the North Carolina Supreme Court. Her civil practice includes higher education litigation, contract disputes, antitrust and unfair competition claims, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and other departing employee litigation, as well as wrongful termination and related employment law claims. Ms. Dagger also defends clients in federal criminal cases and serves on the Criminal Justice Act panels for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit.
Ms. Dagger joined Ellis & Winters after receiving her J.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an editor of California Law Review. While in law school, she also served as the president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and continues to take an active interest in animal welfare issues. Ms. Dagger earned her undergraduate degree in religious studies, with highest distinction, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Dagger worked as a research analyst for a pharmaceutical business intelligence firm in Research Triangle Park and as an intern at Equality North Carolina in Raleigh. Ms. Dagger is a competitive runner at the marathon and half-marathon distances. She is a native of Charleston, West Virginia, and lives in Raleigh with her husband and their dog.
Click here for more information about Kelly.
G. Glenn Gerding is the North Carolina Appellate Defender. The Office of the Appellate Defender, located in Durham, represents people from across North Carolina in the appellate courts after a criminal conviction. Before becoming the Appellate Defender in 2015, Mr. Gerding was in private practice for ten years, primarily representing people at trial and on appeal in criminal cases. He also served as an assistant public defender in Orange County for two years, and for six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. Mr. Gerding still serves in the Navy Reserves.
Click here for more information about Mr. Gerding.
William R. "Rob" Heroy practices with Goodman, Carr PLLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. He does criminal defense type stuff.
Click here for more information about Rob.
Artemis H. Malekpour is a partner in the litigation consulting firm of Malekpour & Ball. With a background in psychology and psychiatric research, she specializes in focus groups, case strategy, damages and jury selection. Artemis did her undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from UNC’s School of Public Health. After several years of working in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC Hospitals, Artemis went on to earn a degree with honors from Duke Law. Artemis’ path to litigation consulting began while still in law school, working as an intern with David Ball and interviewing jurors post trial in both civil and death penalty cases. This experience early on focused her attention on identifying what drives decision-making as well as the importance and skill of framing an argument in a more productive, simple and persuasive way. A member of the North Carolina State Bar, Artemis has consulted on a wide variety of cases across the country. Through years of conducting jury research, observing deliberations and moderating discussions, she has a knack for identifying potential landmines, analyzing each case from the decisionmakers’ perspective.
Click here for more information about Artemis.
Jim Melo, Tin Fulton Walker & Owen PLLC, Raleigh
Click here for more information about Jim.
Kendra A. Montgomery-Blinn is an assistant district attorney in Durham, North Carolina. She is the leader of the Special Victims Unit and prosecutes homicide cases and other violent felonies. Kendra is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Purdue University and a cum laude graduate of Duke University School of Law.
Kendra has served with the Durham DA’s Office twice. She was an Assistant District Attorney from 2004 through 2007. She was proud to return to the Office in August of 2015 and finds working with survivors of violence as rewarding as it is challenging.Click here for more information about Kendra.
Judge Richard E. Myers II, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington
Click here for more information about Judge Myers.
Jeffrey L. "Jeff" Nieman, North Carolina 15B District Attorney's Office, Chapel Hill
Click here for more information about Jeff.
James E. Quander, Quander & Rubain PA, Winston-Salem
Click here for more information about James.
Judge Paul C. Ridgeway is Senior Resident Superior Court Judge of the 10th Judicial District (Wake County), North Carolina. Judge Ridgeway received his B.S. (’82) and M.P.A. (’90) from N.C. State University, and his J.D. from Campbell School of Law (’86), where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the law review. Following law school, Judge Ridgeway received a post-graduate degree from the University of Amsterdam in the law of the European Community. Prior to becoming a judge in 2007, Judge Ridgeway was engaged in the private practice of law for 20 years, primarily in the fields of commercial litigation and transactions. Judge Ridgeway has served as President of the Wake County Bar Association and as a Vice President of the NCBA.
For 25 years, Judge Ridgeway has also been an adjunct professor of law at Campbell School of Law, where he teaches seminars in International Litigation and Law & Public Policy.
Click here for more information about Judge Ridgeway.
Deonte' L. Thomas, Wake County Public Defender's Office, Raleigh
Patrick B. Weede graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and from the UNC School of Law. Following law school, Mr. Weede served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Forsyth County DA’s Office for almost eight years. He then became a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina, prosecuting drug cases in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) unit. In 2017, Mr. Weede started his own criminal defense practice, Weede Law, PLLC, in Raleigh, focusing on state and federal criminal cases. He also served on the NC Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Council from 2013-2019 and was the Section Chair in 2018-19. Mr. Weede was recently appointed to the NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission as the NC Bar Association representative.
Click here for more information about Mr. Weede.