1:00PM
Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel
Council Members Present
Neil S. Vener (Campbell County)
Robert B. Beasley (Powhatan County)
Michael R. Doucette (Lynchburg)
Nancy G. Parr (Chesapeake)
David N. Grimes (Pittsylvania County)
Joel R. Branscom (Botetourt County)
Donald S. Caldwell (Roanoke City)
Christian E. Rehak (Radford)
Alexander R. Iden (Winchester)
Harvey L. Bryant (Virginia Beach)
C. Linwood Gregory (New Kent County)
Other Commonwealth’s Attorneys Present
E.M. Wright (Buckingham County)
Richard E. Trodden (Arlington/Falls Church)
Robert L. Bushnell (Henry County)
Gregory D. Underwood (Norfolk)
Matthew J. Britton (King George County)
Lisa K. Caruso (Dinwiddie County)
James R. Ennis (Prince Edward County)
John C. Singleton (Bath County)
Stephanie B. Vipperman (Patrick County)
Glenn Williamson (Frederick County)
Joan Ziglar (Martinsville)
James R. Ennis (Prince Edward County)
Edward Stein (Alleghany/Covington)
William Bray (Colonial Heights)
C. Phil Ferguson (Suffolk)
Howard E. Gwynn (Newport News)
Gary Close (Culpeper)
CASC Staff Present
Robert Q. Harris
Lisa O. Hillman
Call to Order
Mr. Vener called the meeting to order at 1:09 p.m.
Consideration of the Minutes
The draft minutes of the February 18, 2010 meeting, previously were posted and circulated to Council. The minutes were approved as submitted.
Chairman’s Report
Mr. Vener welcomed Council and the Commonwealth’s Attorneys to the meeting and deferred a Chairman’s report.
Administrator’s Report
Mr. Harris addressed the agenda items.
Spring Institute 2010
Mr. Harris thanked everyone for attending the 2010 Spring Institute. There are approximately 650 attendees. In addition to prosecutors, attendees include attorneys from the Attorney General’s office, Virginia State Police, and Legislative Services. This year there was a $30 registration fee to attend the Spring Institute. As a result of budget cuts, funding for the Spring Institute has been reduced substantially. Federal grant funding for one track of the program is paying for approximately a third of the expenses. CASC cut out everything extra in order to have the program. There will be no food or snacks, and coffee will not be served after the morning break. CASC saved money on the binders. Mr. Harris stated he will make an announcement during the program explaining cuts to the attendees.
CASC Budget
Mr. Harris stated that CASC suffered no additional cuts to the current and new biennial budgets beyond the significant cuts announced last fall. The same cuts will continue; no funding has been restored. Funding for the Executive Program, VACA Annual Meeting training and the Spring Institute has been cut significantly. CASC has looked to grants to help meet the funding needs and prosecutors will notice that CASC Staff Attorney Jane Chambers now is also a Violence Against Women Resource Prosecutor and Ed Hibbard is our Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor. Among other cost-savings cuts made to CASC, the Resource Center is gone and CASC is not purchasing any legal references including Code supplements. CASC expects to keep all programs running, with no-frills, and will avoid registration fees whenever possible.
Spring/Summer Programs
Mr. Harris reviewed the status of upcoming programs. CASC is holding 4 DUID programs this year in various locations around the state; Top Gun and Homicide programs are in the last year of the Byrne grant and full for this year. Trial Advocacy registration is still open and is recommended for newer prosecutors and as a way to bank 2 years worth of CLE by attending. A sign up sheet will be available at the registration area at the Spring Institute. This year, to pool resources, CASC will host Trial Advocacy and Homicide during the same week at the law school.
VCAIS Issues
Mr. Harris stated that 63 out of 120 offices use VCAIS. VCAIS is a stable and useful program that is maintained statewide by Dick Whetstone. Mr. Harris is encouraging everyone to think about the future of VCAIS and asked Council to start a work group to gather information on the future of VCAIS or what next after VCAIS. Mr. Vener asked that volunteers contact Mr. Harris to form a committee for long range planning.
Adjournment
There being no further business before Council, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of Council is Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 11:00 a.m. at the Henrico Sheriff’s Office Conference Room.