DPA 2025 Annual Conference

Participants in this session will learn about Kentucky's expungement requirements for both misdemeanors and felonies, and how to properly advise clients on expungement procedures and availability. The session will include training for both attorneys and non-attorney staff to participate in local expungement clinics or host clinics themselves.

This session will examine juvenile Serious Youthful Offender transfer and system coordination through a case study lens. A case study of a juvenile violent offender, transferred to Circuit Court and system coordination highlights the need for a collaborative approach involving various agencies like juvenile justice, law enforcement, and social services which can lead to more effective interventions, reduced recidivism, and improved outcomes for both the client and the community. Some key aspects of system coordination that will be examined include Early Intervention, Assessment and Risk Management, Collaboration and Communication between agencies and systems of care, Development of Individualized Treatment Plans and the role of the ASW, Community Support, Mental Health and Competency, and other miscellaneous issues such as involuntary medication and early transfer to adult correctional facilities that may arise as you are advocating for your youthful clients.

Additionally, the panel will discuss the role of the ASW and other DPA team members such as Protection and Advocacy in developing tailored plans that address the specific needs of the youthful client, including substance abuse treatment, mental health services, educational support, and vocational training. Case strategies such as request for competency evaluation, need for robust motion practices, and involving families, schools, and other community stakeholders in the judicial and rehabilitation process will be explored.

This session is geared towards both trial and post-trial lawyers who handle capital cases (or have an interest in doing so in the future), capital investigators, and even non-capital litigation team members who want to learn more about intellectual disability to see how they may be able to investigate and present intellectual disability to try to obtain a more favorable outcome for their clients.