District Attorney Michael Dugan has been awarded a scholarship from the National District Attorneys Association to attend a five-day training and leadership conference in Columbia, South Carolina next month. The leadership and training course will focus on “The Policy Maker’s Approach to Scientific Evidence” and issues associated with the traces of evidence.

The course is designed to enable participants to make informed decisions regarding the best use of office resources to employ scientific evidence in the prosecution of serious cases.  Attendees will learn about Federal resources and will received training on directing a full investigation of a crime.

“Today’s new television shows, such as CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), give our citizens and potential jurors a false sense of what scientific evidence can and cannot do,” Dugan said.  “Learning how to deal with increased juror expectations after CSI will help my office do a better job.”  The course will provide hands-on training at a crime scene, explore the future of DNA, and explore ethics and professional standards in cases involving scientific evidence.

Dugan is one of 75 prosecutors from around the nation that have been invited to participate in this training. “I look forward to exploring ways to help make our community a better place to raise a family, live and work” Dugan said.

All expenses are paid by the National District Attorneys Association .  The course will be held in September at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.