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Writing Effective Search Warrants Report Writing & Effective Courtroom Testimony

Course Description
This multi-disciplinary training course for law enforcement officers will cover specific detailed writing for search warrants from drafting affidavits to testifying a suppression hearing. This course will also cover the do's and don'ts of writing police reports to avoid problems in court. Finally, this course will teach officers how to properly prepare for court and present physical and testimonial evidence at trial.

Topics to be discussed:

SEARCH WARRANTS

• Drafting Affidavit
• Informant Affidavit's
• Hearsay
• John Doe Warrants
• Descriptions of places-persons-items to be searched
• Probable Cause
• Anticipatory Search Warrants Mandates: Civil Rights, Constitutional Use of Law Enforcement Authority & Legal Updates
• Misrepresentation of Facts
• Omissions
• Discovery
• Judicial Approval
• Telephone corrections
• Execution
• Timelines
• Knock & Announce/No Knock Warrants
• Warrant Executed at Wrong Address
• Inventory & Return

REPORT WRITING

• Supreme Court Rule 412 - Disclosure
• Supreme Court Rule 415 - Duty to Disclose
• Officer Personnel Files
• Dangers of Poor Report Writing
• Keys to Well-Written Report
• Report Checklist

COURTROOM TESTIMONY

• The New Orleans Story
• Attorneys Rules and Ethics
• Understanding Defense Attorneys
• How to Prepare for Your Testimony
• How to Testify at Trial
• Cross Examination
• What Not To Do

*Funded in Partnership with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board, specialized LHI Grant.

This training covers the following mandates:

• Civil Rights - 3 hours
• Constitutional / Proper Use of LE Authority - 3 hours
• Legal Updates - 2 hours

Specialized Training

• Lead Homicide Investigator - 8 hours