ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS IN CAPITAL LITIGATION’S
45TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE AGENDA
WEDNESDAY. JULY 30. 2025
Central Daylight Time
11:00 - 1:30 REGISTRATION
- 1:30 - 1:45 WELCOME
The Honorable Jonathan Skrmetti
Attorney General of the State of Tennessee
- 1:45 - 2:45 THE BEST OF THE BEST
Brian Baker
First Assistant District Attorney
Brazos County (Texas) District Attorney's Office
- 2:45 - 3:00 BREAK
- 3:00 – 4:00 HISTORY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Roe Wilson
Assistant District Attorney (retired)
Harris County (Texas) District Attorney’s Office
- 4:00 - 4:15 BREAK
- 4:15 - 5:15 SUPREME COURT YEAR-IN-REVIEW
Bill Bilderback
Senior Assistant Attorney General
California Department of Justice
- 6:00 - 8:00 RECEPTION
THURSDAY. JULY 31. 2025
- 8:30 - 10:00 NO-BODY MURDER PROSECUTION
The Honorable Rick Hubbard
Solicitor
South Carolina’s 11th Judicial Circuit
- 10:15 - 10:30 BREAK
- 10:30 - 12:00 DNA LIKELIHOOD RATIOS
Lynn Garcia
General Counsel
Texas Forensic Science Commission
- 12:00 - 1:30 LUNCH (On Your Own)
- 1:30 - 2:30 EXPERT EVIDENCE UNDER SCRUTINY: SUCCESSFULLY HANDLING DAUBERT IN THE COURTROOM
Kirsten Valenzuela
Capital Bureau Chief
Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office
Jennifer Carper
Assistant Capital Bureau Chief
Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office
- 2:30 – 2:45 BREAK
- 2:45 – 3:45 CONTEXTUALIZING GLOSSIP v. OKLAHOMA
Matt Ottoway
Assistant Attorney General
Texas Attorney General’s Office
Ronald Eisenberg
Senior Appellate Counsel
Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
- 3:45 – 4:00 BREAK
- 4:00 – 5:00 DEALING WITH THE MEDIA (ETHICS)
Britt Imes
Chief Deputy District Attorney
San Bernadino County District Attorney’s Office
FRIDAY. AUGUST 1. 2025
Appellate Breakout
- 8:30- 9:30 FEDERAL EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS
Shira Markovich
Deputy Attorney General
California Department of Justice
Dana Ali
Supervising Deputy Attorney General
California Department of Justice
- 9:30 -9:45 BREAK
- 9:45 -10:45 SECOND OR SUCCESSIVE FEDERAL PETITIONS
Gwen Vindell
Assistant Attorney General
Texas Attorney General’s Office
- 10:45 - 11:00 BREAK
- 11:00 - 12:00 ROUNDTABLE
Ronald Eisenberg
Senior Appellate Counsel
Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
- 12:00 -1:30 LUNCH (On Your Own)
Trial Breakout
- 8:30-9:30 FED-HABEAS-PROOFING YOUR CASE
Brenda Leikala
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Ohio Attorney General’s Office
- 9:30 - 9:45 BREAK
- 9:45-10:45 PRESERVATION OF PERIMORTEM TESTIMONY
Ashley Rich
Supernumerary District Attorney
Mobile County (Alabama) District Attorney’s Office
- 10:45 - 11:00 BREAK
- 11:00 - 12:00 ROUNDTABLE
Ashley Rich
Supernumerary District Attorney
Mobile County (Alabama) District Attorney’s Office
- 12:00 -1:30 LUNCH (On Your Own)
FRIDAY. AUGUST 1. 2025
General Session
- 1:30 - 2:30 LESSONS LEARNED FROM PROSECUTING MASS MURDER CASES
Raymond Lepone
Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Tennessee Attorney General
- 2:30 - 2:45 BREAK
- 2:45 - 3:45 NITROGEN HYPOXIA
Polly Kenny
Division Chief
Alabama Attorney General’s Office
- 3:45 -4:00 BREAK
- 4:00 - 5:00 AI, THE FINAL FRONTIER (ETHICS)
Jesse Evans
Chief Assistant District Attorney
Cobb County District Attorney’s Office
Mark Cheatham
Chief of Police
Acworth Police Department
SATURDAY. AUGUST 2. 2024
- 9:00 - 11:00 THE DAVID TEMPLE CASE
Lisa Tanner
Division Chief (retired)
Texas Attorney General’s Office