Last week, I attended the Defending Drug Cases Seminar in Las Vegas sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Hundreds of lawyers and other experts came in from all over the country, including a handful from Chicago and Illinois. During the seminar, I heard from speakers on the subjects of:
- How and when to contest K-9 drug searches,
- How to most effectively cross-examine a snitch,
- Motions to Suppress,
- Wiretaps,
- The jury as society's conscience,
- How to maximize the chance of gettiting out on bond, and
- The latest drug defenses.
The speakers in these areas, combined with the free exchange of ideas and strategies for beating drug cases with criminal defense attorneys from across the country, greatly increased my knowledge in areas rich with weapons for the
defense of drug accusations. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority reports that, from 1999 to 2008, the arrest rate for
cannabis offenses in Illinois increased 13 percent. With drug prosecutions on the rise, creative and aggressive drug defense is more important than ever. I highly recommend the Defending Drug Cases seminar for anyone who is serious about staying on the cutting edge of this constantly evolving area of law.
