2026 Summer Public Defense Conference: Full Schedule

3:45pm EDT

May the Best Story Win: Persuasive Use of Themes and Storytelling in Opening Statements

LIMITED

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Kyle Obiora

Assistant Public Defender, DeKalb County Public Defender

Kyle Obiora is a public defender in DeKalb County, Georgia. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Louisville. She moved to Atlanta to attend Emory Law where she was a Dean’s Teaching Fellow and... Read More →

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY

3:45pm EDT

Resilient by Design: Thriving in Public Defense

LIMITED

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Jennifer Cooley

Assistant Public Defender IV, Office of the Public Defender, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

ATTORNEY

3:45pm EDT

Forensics on Trial: Challenging the Science Behind the State’s Case

LIMITED

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM A FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Mary Dayton

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM A FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY INVESTIGATOR

3:45pm EDT

Forensics on Trial: Challenging the Science Behind the State’s Case (broadcast)

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM D, E, & H

Speakers

Mary Dayton

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM D, E, & H

ATTORNEY INVESTIGATOR

3:45pm EDT

SB 440 & Transfer: Getting Involved Early to Keep Kids in Juvenile Court

LIMITED

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM G THIRD FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Rachel Gordon

Monday July 20, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM G THIRD FLOOR

ATTORNEY YOUTH DEFENDER

2:30pm EDT

404(b) Reloaded: Recent Developments and Defense Strategy

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

David Douds

Appellate Attorney, GPDC Appellate Division

David works for the GPDC Appellate Division with his law partner (cat) Barney serving the counties of Northeast Georgia. He graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in German and Philosophy, which is useful, and from the Georgia State University College of Law. He began his career as a public defender in 2018, and spent several years as a trial attorney in Coweta County and Athens-Clarke County before transitioning to appellate practice... Read More →

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

ATTORNEY

2:30pm EDT

Case Law and Statutory Changes Update

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CLASSROOM A FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Update focusing on new legislation from this years legislative sessions. Additionally, will focus on important (or at least interesting) cases from the Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court of Georgia, and the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia.

Statutory Law Update-First Offender records restriction at the time of sentencing, a new crime for gift card fraud, new ways to remove District Attorneys, enhanced punishments for pimping and pandering, a new crime for "Improper Sexual Contact by a Clergy Member," rules for AI Chatbots/Companions, a new path forward for terms of court (at least in the Cordele Judicial Circuit), feral hog chaos, credit for time served on probation revocations, a new official heritage horse breed, and more!!!

Case Law Update-Issue of First Impression-How to preserve error when a witness answers a question before a sustained objection. Good caselaw for issues dealing with motions to arrest judgment, challenging date ranges in indictments, prior violent acts of the alleged victim (in self-defense cases), prospective waivers of revocation hearings, and more!!! Bad caselaw for felony murder, prosecutors using AI, the broken post conviction system in Georgia, and more!!!. Information on how to preserve error on appeal for jury charges, motions for mistrial, requests for written orders on immunity motions, and more!!!

Speakers

Jonathan Lockwood

Chief Assistant Public Defender, Brunswick Judicial Circuit Public Defender's Office

Background: I am a career Public Defender. University of Georgia Class of 2007 (history/philosophy). Washington & Lee University School of Law Class of 2010.From Hagan, GA. Currently, live in Liberty County, GA. Started as an Assistant Public Defender in the Middle Judicial Circuit... Read More →

Law Update 2026 Public Defender Seminar pptx

Case and Statuotry Update July 2026 docx

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
CLASSROOM A FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY

2:30pm EDT

Case Law Update (BROADCAST)

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CLASSROOM D, E, & H

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Jonathan Lockwood

Chief Assistant Public Defender, Brunswick Judicial Circuit Public Defender's Office

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
CLASSROOM D, E, & H

ATTORNEY

2:30pm EDT

Experts, Daubert & 702 Weaponized

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Ryan Malone

Charlie Koch

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY INVESTIGATOR

2:30pm EDT

What Happened to You? Trauma‑Informed Advocacy for Youth at Every Stage

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CLASSROOM G THIRD FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Gayle Bacon Murray

Director, Youth Advocacy Division, Georgia Public Defender Council

Gayle B. Murray is the Director of Youth Advocacy Division for the Georgia Public Defender Council, where she leads statewide initiatives to strengthen juvenile defense practice and elevate the voices of young people in the justice system. A career public defender with nearly three... Read More →

Speakers

Angela Dillon

Josh Larkey

Kristin Waller

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY

3:45pm EDT

Terabytes and Volumes: How to handle excessive discovery.

LIMITED

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Jackie Tyo

Veronica O'Grady

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

ATTORNEY INVESTIGATOR

9:00am EDT

Attacking VOPs

LIMITED

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Zachary Bowman

Zach Bowman is a dedicated criminal defense attorney with a strong academic and trial advocacy background. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from University of South Florida, where he developed a deep appreciation for the legal, political, and historical forces that shape... Read More →

GPDC Attacking VOP (Final) pptx

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
CLASSROOM F SECOND FLOOR

ATTORNEY

9:00am EDT

Gang Defense Units - Building Expertise (BROADCAST)

LIMITED

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

CLASSROOM D, E, & H

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Shawn Hoover

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
CLASSROOM D, E, & H

ATTORNEY

9:00am EDT

Georgia Pardons & Paroles: Recent Updates and Practice Impacts

LIMITED

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Lisa Copeland

Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles

Lisa D. Copeland is a 1993 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a BA in
Criminal Justice. She earned her Master's in Public Safety Administration in 2025 from
Columbus State University. She began her career in the criminal justice system with the Nevada
Division of... Read More →

Jacques Brown

Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles

Jacques is a graduate of Northern Illinois University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in
Criminology. His career with the Parole Board began as a Parole Officer in the Griffin Parole Office. He
served as a Senior Parole Officer and Specialized Parole Officer where he superv... Read More →

Crystal Moon

As Director of the Pre-Release Clemency Considerations Division, Crystal L. Moon directs the processes for off ender case preparation and delivering cases to the Board to make informed, scientifi c, data-driven decision-making and ensure all Board decisions are properly implemented... Read More →

Parole 101 Public Defenders May 2026 .pptx pdf

Agis Bray III

Wednesday July 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT
CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

ATTORNEY

11:25am EDT

Am I doing this right? Understanding Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, common complaints and understanding how knowing what is expected can improve your practice of criminal defense.

Not So Fast: Using Interlocutory Appeals to Protect Your Client

LIMITED

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:25am - 12:25pm EDT

CLASSROOM B FIRST FLOOR

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Penny Hunter

Circuit Public Defender, Enotah Public Defender's Office

Penny Hunter is a graduate of North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Georgia and a 2012 graduate of the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. After law school she worked for Strickland, Chesnutt, and Lindsey in Winder, Georgia. In 2013, she was offered an... Read More →