CONTACT
Beth Parker
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
beth.parker@apainc.org
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) And Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) Announce The 13 th Annual Animal Cruelty Prosecution Conference Conference will be hosted by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares
July 24, 2024-Washington, DC—The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) and Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) announced today that the 13 th Annual Animal Cruelty Prosecution Conference will take place November 13-14, 2024, in Richmond, VA. The conference will be hosted by Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares.
Designed specifically for U.S. prosecutors of animal cruelty crimes and legal professionals for animal welfare, the agenda will feature presentations from prosecutors, veterinarians and animal law investigators and cover topics including jury selection, legislation, forensics, links between animal cruelty and other crimes, and new technologies in animal prosecution.
“This conference brings together prosecutors and advocates across the country who are dedicated to animal welfare. Our goal is to share model practices and advancements in animal cruelty convictions so that we can all come away with the skills and resources we need to be most effective,” said David LaBahn, President and CEO of APA.
It is estimated that 10 million animals die from abuse in the United States every year. Animal cruelty prosecution is central to to creating safer and more just communities as there is a direct link between the criminal acts of animal abuse and interpersonal violence including murder, child abuse, domestic violence, and elder abuse.
“As the legal voice for animals, this annual conference is critical to our efforts to train and support prosecutors in their fight against animal cruelty. This year’s conference will share the most up to date technologies and practices for prosecuting animal cruelty cases,” said Lora Dunn, Director of the Criminal Justice Program for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. This training presumptively qualifies for 13 MCLE Credits (including 1 hour ethics).
Additional information and a registration link can be found here.
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About The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to support prosecutors in their efforts to create safer communities through a more just and equitable legal system. APA provides prosecutorial training and technical assistance for our membership, which is made up of elected and appointed prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement professionals and other criminal justice system actors. APA works across disciplines to increase public safety and eliminate disparities in the justice system by providing prosecutors with the most effective and innovative resources and guidance to better serve everyone in their communities.
About the Animal Legal Defense Fund
The Animal Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1979 to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. To accomplish this mission, the Animal Legal Defense Fund files high- impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm; provides free legal assistance and training to prosecutors and law enforcement to ensure that animal victims are removed from cruelty situations and animal
abusers are held accountable; supports tough animal protection legislation and fights harmful
legislation; and provides resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the
emerging field of animal law. For more information, please visit aldf.org.