Annual Program

Overview

This annual program focuses on why wrongful convictions occur and how they can be prevented. Join our faculty members and explore topics ranging from drug cases and snitch testimony to hair analysis. This program will also include a presentation on how prosecutors and defense lawyers can do a better job of getting important information in front of the jury.

This course is funded by a grant from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Thanks to this grant, the seminar is offered tuition-free to most participants.

Download the Brochure (pdf)

For more details, download the online brochure.

Who Should Attend?

Judges, Prosecutors and their staff; Criminal Defense Attorneys and their staff; Law Enforcement Officers; and law students. The program is FREE for most attendees.

Schedule and Faculty
(as of 8/24)

Tuesday, August 29

Program Change

Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. The storm has not affected the site of our August 29-30 program, but it has affected several of our speakers and some of our registrants.

The program schedule for Wednesday, August 30 remains unchanged. We anticipate that all speakers will be here as scheduled. 

However, most of the August 29 topics are being taught by speakers from Houston. None of them is able to come to Plano. In addition, one of our August 29 speakers from Austin has Harvey-related duties. As a result, we are postponing the August 29 forensic presentations until a later date. Instead, for those of you who can attend tomorrow’s program, we will offer video replays from our August 2016 and our March 2017 programs on Actual Innocence and Wrongful Convictions. Click on the following links to review the list of video presentations that will be available tomorrow:

• Annual Program 2016
• Habeas Issues 2016
• Wrongful Convictions 2017

We know that video replays are not the same as - or as good as - live presentations.  We know that many of you may wish to skip tomorrow’s session of video replays and only attend on Wednesday, when we are offering live programming. We considered cancelling tomorrow’s session entirely, but some of you have made plans that would be difficult to change.  Our hope is that this compromise is a good one. One important note: While CLE credit will be available for the video portions (if you haven’t already received CLE credit for the same sessions), TCOLE credit is not available. TCOLE credit will only be available for the August 30 session (and the Law Enforcement Best Practices program on August 31).

Questions? Call 972.244.3413.

4:45 pm

Recess & Reception

Wednesday, August 30

9:00 am

Protecting & Evaluating Eyewitness Evidence: Best Practices For Law Enforcement Officials, Prosecutors & Defense Lawyers (includes a 10 minute break)

• Dr. Nancy Steblay, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota

11:10 am

Break

11:15 am

Legislative & Case Law Update

• Gary Udashen, Sorrels, Udashen & Anton, Dallas, Texas

12:15 pm

Lunch (Provided)

1:00 pm

Brady & The Michael Morton Act: What’s Up Now

• Curtis T. Howard, Senior Legal Advisor, Plano Police Department, Plano, Texas
• Bill Wirskye, Collin Co. District Attorney’s Office, McKinney, Texas

2:15 pm

Break

2:25 pm

Actual Innocence & Wrongful Convictions: Fixing & Preventing Mistakes, What’s Happening in Texas’s CIU?

• Dawn Boswell, Tarrant Co. Criminal District Attorney's Office, Fort Worth, Texas
• Cynthia Garza, Dallas Co. District Attorney's Office, Dallas, Texas

3:40 pm

Break

3:45 pm

Ethics

• Dawn Boswell, Tarrant Co. Criminal District Attorney's Office, Fort Worth, Texas
• Bill Wirskye, Collin Co. District Attorney’s Office, McKinney, Texas
• Gary Udashen, Sorrels, Udashen & Anton, Dallas, Texas

4:45 pm

Adjourn

CLE Credit

The State Bar of Texas has approved this program for a total of 13.25 hours, including 1 hour of ethics. Course ID Number: 928010971.

In addition to Texas, after the program (if requested) CAIL will directly apply for course accreditation in the following states, as long as course materials and evaluations are not required: California, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Attorneys may be eligible to receive CLE credit through attorney self-submission in other states, as long as course materials and evaluations are not required to be submitted.

Overnight Accommodations

Hyatt Place Plano welcomes our guests attending Annual Program Establishing Innocence or Guilt, at The Center for American and International Law. We have set aside a block of rooms with a group rate of $97 plus applicable fees/taxes for 8/28/2017 - 8/30/2017.

Please make your reservations by 8/13/2017. As long as the reservation is made by this date, and the group block has availability, you will receive the group rate. Any reservations not received on or before this cut-off date are subject to hotel availability at the best available prevailing rate.

Booking Instructions

Book online

Type in Arrival/Departure Dates
Enter Group/Corporate #: G-CL78
or
Call 888-HYATT-HP (888.492.8847) or 972.378.3997

Dates available: 8/28/2017 - 8/30/2017
Mention the group name: CAILAW / Annual Innocence Program

• A valid credit card is required to make reservations
• Tax Exemption Certificates and Credit Card Authorization Forms may be faxed to the hotel directly at 972.608.4427 prior to your arrival.

Other Information

Privacy Policy

We do not sell or rent information to any outside parties. By providing your information, you will receive postal and electronic communications from The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) in accordance with CAIL's Privacy Policy. If we co-sponsor a program with another organization, information may be shared between the parties. All such co-sponsors will be identified on the event details and registration page. At any point, you can opt-out or unsubscribe by selecting either link at the bottom of each email or call us at 972.244.3400.