2026 OPAA SUMMER WORKSHOP

June 26th – 27th, 2026

FULL AGENDA AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION WILL BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE OFFICE

FRIDAY, JUNE 26TH

8:00 – 12:00                 Registration & Continental Breakfast        

CRIMINAL TRAINING

9:00 – 10:30                 Drafting the Jeffrey Dahmer Search Warrant and the Requirements of the Fourth Amendment
Part of my duties as an assistant prosecutor was to act as a police legal advisor and I would draft and review numerous search warrants and on occasion advise the police regarding the execution of these warrants. After Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in Milwaukee in 1991, he confessed to murdering his first victim, Steven Hicks, in his childhood home in Summit County, Ohio on June 18, 1978. The Bath Township police contacted me and I wrote an affidavit and search warrant to search this home for evidence of this crime. In this presentation we will review this case and the necessary requirements of search warrants including that the affidavit set forth probable cause and that the warrant specify the location and items to be seized with specificity. Attendees will also review cases where evidence was suppressed because of a faulty warrant. Finally, we will discuss the emergency aid exception to the search warrant requirement. The goal of the presentation is for prosecutors to understand how to draft an affidavit and search warrant that will withstand judicial scrutiny. 
Philip Bogdanoff
Retired Career Prosecutor

10:30 - 10:45               Break

10:45 - 12:00               Self Defense Law Primer
The panel will look at current self-defense investigations, trends, case law, and appeals in some of the larger counties in Ohio.
Saleh Awadallah, APA Cuyahoga County
Daniellela Leigh, APA Lorain County
Steven L. Tayor, OPAA

CIVIL TRAINING

9:00 - 10:00                 Juggling and Realizing Multiple Clients’ Interests in Pursuit of Economic Development
A look at the work involved by the county prosecutor and others to get a major manufacturing facility built in a county.
Morris Murray, Prosecutor
Defiance County and
Frank J. Reed Jr., Partner    
FBT Gibbons
Columbus, OH

10:00 - 10:15               Break                         

10:15 – 11:15               Incoming Drones from Labor and Litigators - Defending Against Arbitrations, Negotiations, and Lawsuits.
This session will address changes to civil service law and the direction and increase in employment litigation. Union efforts and increases in collective bargaining with data of the outcomes will be examined. The union efforts include increase in filings of unfair labor practice charges and arbitrations.  Discussion of results will include case review and decisions. 
Jonathan J. Downes
Zashin & Rich, LPA

11:15 – 12:00               Construction
Join us for this presentation on construction law for Ohio county prosecutors including design professional procurement, competitive bidding,  and alternative construction delivery models. We’ll also explore recent Attorney General opinions on cooperative purchasing, offering clarity on legal interpretations and practical implications for public entities.
Brock A. Miskimen, Of Counsel and
Tarik M. Kershah, Partner
Bricker Graydon LLP     

SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH

8:00 – 12:00                 Registration

CRIMINAL TRAINING

9:00 - 10:00                 Marijuana, Hemp, and Senate Bill 56
Ohio Senate Bill 56 updates the state’s definitions of hemp and marijuana under Ohio Revised Code Chapters 928 and 3796. This bill also expands the Ohio Investigative Unit’s authority to enforce criminal violations related to the State’s Marijuana Control Program. In response, OIU is deploying a new field-testing protocol using the Orange Photonics Light Lab device. This technology supports agents in establishing probable cause in real time by quickly producing accurate THC analysis, reducing reliance on crime labs and fast-tracking investigations into illegal dispensaries and other marijuana related offenses.
Travis Kling, Assistant Agent in Charge, ODPS
Jessica Toms, Drug Chemistry Manager, BCI
Office of Attorney General Dave Yost

10:00 - 10:15               Break

10:15 – 12:00               Operation Find Her
Step Inside the Hunt. Unlock the Mindset. Change the Game. Not a lecture, but a rare, insider-level immersion into the world of intelligence, applied analytics, and modern manhunting- led by operators who’ve hunted terrorists overseas and sex predators here at home. This is multimedia engagement that will offer fresh insights about sex trafficking and will help participants better understand the complexities of sex trafficking and how it is evolving and thriving in the United States. This workshop includes active participation with prosecutors and will foster candid discussions and challenging practical exercises to reinforce the concepts.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tiegs, USA retired and
Ms. Candice Spangler, Strategic Advisor for Survivor Initiatives
Both of Skull Games

CIVIL TRAINING

9:00 - 10:30                 Data Centers and Related Developments – Identifying Issues and Local Involvement Options                                     Without a Scorecard
Many local governments and community stakeholders are involved in large industrial development (data centers) and related energy issues. New generation, transportation, transmission, and infrastructure upgrades include on-site power plants, increased reliance on local water resources, pipeline and power line upgrades, use of hydrogen and advanced fuels, as well as injection well infrastructure. Will preservation or enhancement of community assets be considered an afterthought? While federal and state law provide a basis for guidance, work to include community-based "quality of life" stipulations in the permitting process is the direct responsibility of local government. As legal counsel to counties and townships, the role of the county prosecutor is vital.
Dale Arnold, Director of Energy, Utility and Local Government Policy
Ohio Farm Bureau

10:30 – 10:45               Break

10:45 - 12:00               Solving Zoning Issues and Getting Compliance
This session will deal with how to work with your zoning inspectors, zoning commissions, and boards of zoning appeals to crack down on zoning infractions and cut down on appeals. This presentation will also include a review of zoning topics like abuse of agricultural exemptions, public health nuisances, and new legislative developments.
Chip McConville, Prosecutor
Knox County             

WE HAVE RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR 5.5 GENERAL CREDIT HOURS FOR THIS TRAINING FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO COMMISSION ON CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION