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FULL downloadable agenda and registration including hotel information
2025 OPAA SUMMER WORKSHOP
June 19th – 21st, 2025
Hotel Breakers Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Once again we will meet on the shores of Lake Erie to educate the membership and enjoy the other activities the area provides. As usual, we will provide both a criminal law track and a civil law track. The criminal side will have presentations on deciphering DNA in the courtroom; usage and cases involving the MX908 mass spectrometer; effectively using technology in the courtroom; and a look at recurring issues when prosecuting capital cases. On the civil side we will explore representing fire districts; township healthcare concerns; village dissolutions and HB331; cemetery law; and FMLA/ADA and other employee medical issues. We look forward to seeing all of you at Cedar Point!
Thursday will consist of committee meetings in the afternoon, and a welcoming reception in the evening. A family dinner is scheduled for Friday evening, and a family breakfast for Saturday morning. As usual, training sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Thursday, June 19th
2:00 – 5:00 REGISTRATION - Hotel Breakers Main Lobby
5:30 – 7:00 WELCOMING RECEPTION – Lakeside Pavillion
(sponsored in part by Matrix Software)
Friday, June 20th
8:00 – 12:00 REGISTRATION - Hotel Breakers East Conference Center Lobby
(Located by the Poolside Parlor)
8:00 – 12:00 CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (in or near the training rooms)
CRIMINAL TRAINING
Cedar Point Convention Center Located Behind the Pavilion Areas SE of the Hotel Breakers
9:00 – 10:45 DNA In the Courtroom
DNA has quickly become the “gold standard” for forensic evidence. It can damn the guilty, exonerate the innocent, and is generally expected to be present and tested in every case by the lay public. But what is it and how did DNA rise to such prominence? This session is meant to provide the novice with a basic working knowledge of forensic DNA analysis, including history and current techniques. Then, we will build on this understanding by attempting to answer the question: Are DNA results always reliable or relevant? We will introduce, explore, and review DNA results and expert
conclusions, and perhaps most importantly, what reported statistics mean, or don’t mean and how they can help the prosecuting attorney.
Crystal Oechsle
Instructor of Forensic Biology
Center for the Future of Forensic Science
Bowling Green State University
10:45 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 12:00 MX908 In Ohio Drug Investigations
The MX908 is a handheld, portable mass spectrometer used around the world to conduct chemical, explosive, and drug testing within minutes. It is used by numerous state and federal agencies, the military, and various HazMat operations to name a few. This presentation will focus on who is using the device in Ohio, how it is being utilized, and the steps that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has taken to help make the MX908 test results reliable for criminal proceedings connected to drug investigations.
Amanda M. White, Forensic Scientist
Megan Snyder, Forensic Scientist
Both with Ohio BCI
Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and
Christopher R. Tunnell, Prosecutor
Ashland County
5:30 - 7:00 Family Dinner with Cash Bar – Lakeside Pavillion
CIVIL TRAINING
Breakers East Conference Center located near the Poolside Parlor
9:00 - 10:00 Beyond the Fireline: Navigating the Unique Legal Challenges in Representing Fire Departments in Labor Matters
Representing fire departments in labor matters presents a distinct set of legal challenges shaped by the unique structure, culture, and demands of the fire service. From 24-hour shift schedules and dual-role classifications to the complexities of a paramilitary chain of command, legal counsel must navigate a landscape unlike any other in the public sector. This session will explore the legal nuances of collective bargaining, employee discipline, safety-related disputes, and labor relations in departments that often blend volunteer, part-time, and career personnel. Attendees will gain insights into recent case law developments, and best practices for effectively advocating within this high-stakes environment.
Mason P. Mackovjak
Zashin & Rich
Columbus, Ohio
10:00 - 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:15 Township Healthcare in Transition: Navigating Trustee Coverage and Healthcare Sharing Reimbursements
As healthcare costs rise and alternative models gain popularity, many townships are grappling with how to provide or reimburse healthcare for employees and trustees, especially when traditional insurance is replaced by healthcare sharing arrangements. This session will examine the legal authority surrounding trustee healthcare benefits, the implications of reimbursing non-insurance healthcare models, and the patchwork of approaches across the state. We'll explore key statutory interpretation issues, recent guidance from oversight entities, ethical considerations for trustees, and real-world examples that highlight the risks and responsibilities of township decision-makers. Whether you're advising a township board or seeking clarity on allowable reimbursements, this session will offer practical guidance grounded in legal analysis.
Mason P. Mackovjak
Zashin & Rich
Columbus, Ohio
11:15 – 12:00 Village Dissolutions, Then and Now
This session will provide an in-depth discussion of the longstanding process of Village dissolution in Ohio, as well as a new dissolution process created by HB 331 in 2025. We will also address inside/ outside millage issues, including what happens to inside millage following dissolution. All will assist county prosecutors in representing their statutory clients through this sometimes “tedious” process.
Paul S. Rutter, Partner and
Amelia N. Blankenship, Of Counsel
Both with Bricker Graydon LLP
5:30 - 7:00 Family Dinner with Cash Bar – Lakeside Pavillion
Saturday, June 21
8:00 – 12:00 REGISTRATION - Hotel Breakers East Conference Center Lobby
(Located by the Poolside Parlor)
CRIMINAL TRAINING
Cedar Point Convention Center Located Behind the Pavilion Areas SE of the Hotel Breakers
7:00 - 9:30 Family Breakfast Buffet – Lakeside Dining Room
9:00 - 10:30 Courtroom Technology and the Visual Trial: The Alec Baldwin Shooting
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust” was found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Alec Baldwin fired the fatal bullet believing that the gun was a cold gun and did not contain live ammunition. At Ms. Reed’s trial the prosecutor relied on visual evidence, film, pictures, and visual enhancements to prove that Ms. Reed’s reckless conduct caused the death of Halyna Hutchins. Jurors crave visual evidence, and studies indicate that the human brain quickly processes visual information and that we retain sixty percent of what we see and only ten to twenty percent of what we read and hear. In this presentation, attendees will watch film clips of this trial and learn evidentiary foundations to admit visual evidence and to successfully display this evidence to the jury. The goal of this presentation is for attendees to understand the benefits of using visual evidence and obtain technological skills to seamlessly present this evidence in court.
Philip Bogdanoff
Retired Career Prosecutor
10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 12:00 Prosecuting a Capital Case in Ohio
This presentation will highlight some recurring issues in the indictment and prosecution of capital cases in Ohio, including: what makes the case a “capital” case; the new “serious mental illness” statutory defense to the death penalty; the intellectual-disability defense; “death qualification” and “life qualification” of jurors; how the capital weighing process works; some key “do’s and don’ts” in a penalty-phase closing argument, and the possible impact of Marsy’s Law on the penalty phase.
Steven L. Taylor, Legal Research and Staff Counsel
Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association
CIVIL TRAINING
Breakers East Conference Center located near the Poolside Parlor
7:00 - 9:30 Family Breakfast Buffet – Lakeside Dining
9:00 - 10:15 The Grave Legal Requirements of Cemeteries
Benjamin Franklin is attributed with having stated there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. As a result, it is very likely that at some point, you will be asked a question pertaining to a cemetery. For example, guidance may be sought regarding the following: Who’s body is it? What do we do with it now that we have found it? Do we have to pay for the burial? Is this a burial site? How do we abandon the cemetery? Can we launch our 4th of July Fireworks from there? This session will provide discussion and a general overview regarding the obligations that certain public entities have with respect to cemeteries.
Benjamin S. Albrecht, Partner
Fishel Downey Albrecht & Riepenhoff, LLP
New Albany
10:15 - 10:30 Break
10:30 - 12:00 Understanding the Interplay of the FMLA, ADA and Other Employee Medical Issues
In 2023, the DOL Wage and Hour Division pursued 334 FMLA compliance actions against employers and recovered nearly $1 million in back wages on behalf of employees. Those 334 FMLA compliance actions maintained by the DOL do not include lawsuits filed by employees against their employers. Similarly, the EEOC investigated 33,668 claims of disability discrimination in 2025. As a result, it is imperative that public employers respond appropriately to employee leave requests and claims for accommodation due to a disability. Additionally, the recreational use of marijuana, as well as medical marijuana use by employees, further complicates the matter for public employers. This presentation will review the general legal requirements of both the FMLA and ADA. Additionally, discussion will occur regarding other issues related to employee leave, such as discipline for abuse/misuse, medical marijuana, fitness for duty exams and the disability separation process. Finally, practice tips will be provided in order to minimize the risk of liability for public employers.
Benjamin S. Albrecht, Partner
Fishel Downey Albrecht & Riepenhoff, LLP
New Albany
WE HAVE APPLIED FOR 5.5 GENERAL CREDIT HOURS FOR THIS TRAINING FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO COMMISSION ON CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
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