| MCLE Credit: | 2.0 (Ethics: 0.0) |
| Live-Interactive Credit: | 0.0 |
| VIDC Re-Certification Credit: | 2.0 Misdemeanor/Felony (VIDC Information) |
| Designation Credit: | 2.0 Trial Practice/Litigation (Designations Information) |
| Price: | $149 (Includes a downloadable audio version.) |
| Viewable Through: | 03/31/2027 |
$149.00 (or 2 Bundle Credits)
A pre-recorded streaming VIDEO replay of the March 2024 webcast, Establishing Chain of Custody in Criminal Cases.
Establishing chain of custody is an integral, but sometimes overlooked, requirement for the admission of any piece of evidence. The standards in Virginia for whether chain of custody has been established by the party offering the evidence at trial can depend on small factual distinctions.
In this seminar, the presenters (a defense attorney and an assistant commonwealth attorney) provide an overview of the history of Virginia case law on chain of custody. Attendees learn, using hypotheticals, what facts to look for regarding whether a complete chain of custody exists. The speakers apply the chain of custody standards to common situations in criminal cases and provide insight into what arguments can be made and how a court might receive them.
Jordan Ferbrache, Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office / Loudoun County
Eric M. Shamis, King, Campbell, Poretz & Mitchell, PLLC / Leesburg
Jordan Ferbrache, Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office / Loudoun County
Jordan Ferbrache has represented the Commonwealth of Virginia as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Loudoun County, Virginia, since August 2021. He handles misdemeanor cases in the General District Court as well as felony cases in the Circuit Court. Although specialized in traffic related crimes, he handles a diverse case load including property related crimes, crimes against law enforcement, larcenies, drugs, and white collar. In his time as a prosecutor, He has represented the Commonwealth in numerous bench and jury trials.
Mr. Ferbrache graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in the spring of 2021 and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia.
Eric M. Shamis, King, Campbell, Poretz & Mitchell, PLLC / Leesburg
For the past two years Eric Shamis has been a partner with King Campbell Poretz & Mitchell and based out of their Leesburg Office. His practice is primarily devoted to criminal defense and traffic defense. He has represented clients on a wide array of criminal matter, from DUI and reckless driving cases to rape, robbery, and murder cases.
Prior to joining King Campbell Poretz & Mitchell, PLLC, Mr. Shamis was a prosecutor with the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for over eight years. During that time, he tried over seventy-five jury trials, and hundreds of bench trials. The criminal cases he handled were some of the most complex and important within Loudoun County over the past decade. He handled jury trials involving charges of murder, manslaughter, robbery, burglary, felony assault, illegal firearm possession, drug distribution, drug possession, DUI, felony DUI, reckless driving, and domestic assault, among others. This experience gave him an in-depth insight into how a case moves through the criminal justice system and how to interact and communicate effectively with all people involved to include the courts, the police, and the attorneys. During his time as a prosecutor, Mr. Shamis specifically focused on handling DUI and traffic-related criminal offenses. Between 2017 and 2020 he was part of a small team of attorneys who handled nearly all the fatal traffic-related criminal cases in Loudoun County. Between 2014 and 2017 he handled the specialized “DUI blood docket” in Loudoun County, containing serious accident cases, and involving the most complex DUI legal issues.
For the last four years Mr. Shamis has been a part of the faculty in the “Defending DUI and Serious Traffic Cases” live seminar in Fairfax, which teaches DUI and traffic law to northern Virginia attorneys. As a prosecutor, he also regularly gave educational presentations to law enforcement officers on DUI and other criminal law topics. In his final years in the office, he handled some of the most significant homicide cases that went to trial in Loudoun County such as Commonwealth v. Tony Dane, Commonwealth v. Sergio Zuniga-Robles, Commonwealth v. Diamante Ellis, and Commonwealth v. Cameron Prince. These trials involved the presentation of complex issues such as DNA evidence, motor vehicle air-bag control module data, and medical evidence on issues of traumatic brain injury.
Prior to his work at the Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Mr. Shamis worked for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, representing the State Department of Social Services. In that position he handled a large volume of cases in which he collected child support for needy children in northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.
 |  |
