Whitehall City Attorney

Last week City Attorney Bivens, Asst. City Attorney Brad Nicodemus, and Prosecutor Kylie Keitch attended (and presented at) the Ohio Municipal League Attorney’s Association Summer Law Institute. City Attorney Bivens attended sessions on environmental & energy law and dealing with problematic apartment complexes, among other sessions. Brad attended sessions new OVI breath testing equipment, Marsy’s law updates, and presented on SB 288 (criminal omnibus bill). Kylie attended sessions on strangulation and presented on developing domestic violence cases and a trial practicum for new prosecutors. During the business meeting, Brad was elected 2nd Vice President of the OMAA.

Congratulations Kylie on your acceptance to the Masters’ Summit on Strangulation Prevention!

The Masters' Summit will provide participants an unique opportunity to participate in a national think tank and learning exchange. The course will update attendees about our current knowledge of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation assaults. Topics will include:

- New laws, case law and medical research;

- New and improved tools & resources from the Institute;

- Updates on Imaging Recommendations;

- Lessons learned from staged su***de scenes; and

- Emerging issues (Consent Defense, Strangulation During S*x and P**n).

Once completed, Kylie will work with our other prosecutors and police officers to improve our investigation and prosecution of domestic violence and strangulation cases.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the parade route!

This week Prosecutor Kylie has been attending a virtual seminar and workshop by National Institute on the Prosecution of Domestic Violence.

Kylie, and prosecutors from around the country, are discussing and practicing (w\ real case examples) evidence-based prosecution so that offenders can be held accountable regardless of whether victims are able to testify at trial. Other topics include risk
assessment, coordinated community responses, trauma-informed interviewing,
strangulation, intimate partner sexual assault, co-occurring crimes, witness
intimidation and forfeiture by wrongdoing, presentation of evidence at trial, expert
testimony, cultural humility, jury selection, and ethical considerations.

Keep up the great work Kylie!

Congrats Judge D’Varga & everyone that worked hard to make Recovery Court possible and a success!

This week Prosecutor Kylie Keitch has been in a jury trial for a high test OVI, with an accident that caused injury to another driver. This morning the jury returned a guilty verdict! The court is setting future date for sentencing. Great work Kylie & all the officers that responded to the accident, investigated it, and testified during the trial! Whitehall Police Department

On Friday, City Attorney Bivens spoke to the
United States Marine Corps Lima Company Third Battalion 25th Marine Division (3/25) War Hounds about life after the Corps. He spoke to them about the lessons learned from the Marines that has served as the foundation for his service based life. Thank you all for your service!

Last year Ohio passed many criminal law updates in SB288. This week Brad and Kylie have been talking with other professionals and attorneys about these changes. On Wednesday Brad participated in a panel discussion of prosecutor initiated expungements hosted by OSU Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. Today, Brad and Kylie presented to the Ohio Municipal League Attorney’s Association an overview of some of the changes in SB288.

Whitehall-Yearling seniors - this is the last opportunity to get your application for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship submitted! Responses are due by January 10, 2023.