Symposium on Traffic Safety May 17-20, 2027

DUI Enforcement

• Before the SFSTs: Turning Personal Contact into Persuasive Impaired-Driving Evidence (Scot Mattox/Josh Saucier)

  - Scot Mattox and Josh Saucier, Maine Bureau of Highway Safety

  Discover how observations made during personal contact can significantly strengthen an impaired-driving investigation. Learn how attention, memory, judgment, and coordination issues may reveal themselves before field sobriety testing begins. This session provides practical methods for documenting observations and integrating them into a stronger overall case.

• Cops, Cannabis, and Chemical Testing (Ryan Hutton)

  - Ryan Hutton, Extract-ED, LLC

  Explore how cannabis is absorbed, processed, and detected in the body while examining its impact on driving performance. Through real-world testing and controlled laboratory scenarios, you'll compare oral-fluid results, field sobriety testing observations, and impairment assessments to gain a more complete understanding of cannabis-impaired driving investigations.

• Current Drug Trends, Clothing, and Diversion Devices (Michael Blute)

  - Michael Blute, DrugImpairment.com

  Stay ahead of emerging drug trends affecting communities across the country. Examine popular substances, concealment methods, diversion devices, and social media influences that impact drug use and distribution. You'll gain awareness of items and behaviors officers may encounter during impaired-driving, drug enforcement, and criminal investigations.  

• DUI is Socially Acceptable (Nate Boob/Jim French)

  - Jim French, Pennsylvania DUI Association; Nate Boob, Pennsylvania District Attorney Association 

  Challenge misconceptions surrounding impaired driving and explore the real-world consequences of low-BAC and drug-impaired driving offenses. Through case examples, statistics, and professional experience, you'll gain tools for communicating the seriousness of impaired driving and reinforcing the importance of enforcement and prosecution efforts.  

• Fortify the Facts - Defeating Red Herrings in Impaired Driving Investigations (Chuck Matson)

  - Chuck Matson, SD LET DECP

  Learn how to recognize and counter misleading defense arguments designed to distract from key impairment evidence. This session focuses on practical strategies for keeping attention on relevant facts and physiological indicators of impairment. You'll gain techniques for effectively responding to common courtroom challenges and strengthening testimony.  

• Getting Cooperation for Impaired Driving Investigations (Tony Burnett)

  - Tony Burnett, DRE State Coordinator

  Develop communication techniques that foster cooperation from suspects and witnesses during impaired-driving investigations. Learn how rapport building, professional interactions, and effective verbal and nonverbal communication can improve information gathering and investigative outcomes. This session provides practical strategies that can be applied immediately in the field.  

• Ghosts of Witte: Debunking Claims of Non-Intoxication Causes of Nystagmus (Karl Citek)

  - Karl Citek, OD, PhD, Pacific University College of Optometry 

  Learn how to address common defense claims regarding non-intoxication causes of nystagmus. This session explores the origins of frequently cited arguments and provides scientifically supported responses that investigators and prosecutors can use in court. Gain confidence in defending HGN-related observations and testimony during cross-examination.  

• Impairment and Innocence: The Hidden Victims of Drug-Impaired Driving (Taylor Samek)

  - Sgt. Taylor Samek, York County Sheriff's Office, Nebraska 

  Explore how drug-impaired driving investigations can uncover broader concerns involving child abuse and neglect. Learn how integrating multiple investigative approaches can support enhanced criminal charges, improve child safety outcomes, and strengthen prosecution efforts. This session demonstrates how investigators can expand the impact of a routine traffic stop. 

• Inside the Defense Playbook: Building a Stronger Case by Anticipating DWI Defense Strategies (Jennifer Dumont/Morgan Bridgers)

  - Jennifer Dumont and Morgan Bridgers, North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys

  Explore common defense strategies used in impaired-driving cases and learn how to prepare for them before they arise. By understanding these tactics, you'll strengthen investigative practices, improve credibility, and build more effective cases. This session provides practical guidance for anticipating challenges from roadside investigations through trial.  

• Kratom and Kava: Pharmacology and Impaired Driving Case Reports (Nicholas Tiscione/Keith White)

  - Nicholas Tiscione, Toxicology Unit Manager; Investigator Keith White, DUI Unit, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office 

  Explore the pharmacology, effects, and traffic-safety implications of kratom and kava. Through research findings and real-world case studies, you'll learn how these increasingly popular substances may affect driver behavior and what indicators investigators should recognize when they are encountered in impaired-driving investigations. 

    

• One Team, One Scene: Why Prosecutors Belong at Serious DUI Crash Investigations (Vin Petty/Jen Knudsen)
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  Vin Petty, Florida TSRP Program / Jen Knudsen, Knudsen Law Firm, LLC

  Explore the benefits of involving prosecutors early in serious and fatal DUI crash investigations. Learn how collaborative decision-making at the scene can improve evidence collection, charging decisions, and case outcomes. This session highlights practical strategies for building stronger partnerships between investigators and prosecutors.  

• Over the Counter and Under the Influence: Recognizing the Hidden Drug Dynamics in DUID Cases (Jay Riggen)

  - Jay Riggen, Harborline Training / Vermont State Police (Retired) 

  Examine the often-overlooked role of prescription and over-the-counter medications in impaired-driving cases. Through real-world examples, you'll learn how seemingly harmless substances can contribute to impairment and discover effective techniques for identifying, documenting, and explaining their effects during investigations and court proceedings.  

• Report Writing with the End in Mind: Surviving DUI Cross Examination (Deena Ryerson/Ashley Schluck)

  - Ashley Schluck, Wyoming Highway Safety; Deena Ryerson, Oregon Department of Justice 

  Learn how precise and purposeful report writing can strengthen testimony and reduce vulnerabilities during cross-examination. This session examines common reporting mistakes, explains how defense challenges are created, and provides practical techniques for documenting observations clearly, accurately, and effectively from the start of an investigation.  

• Understanding Cannabis: Let's Have a Blunt Conversation About THC! (William J. Lynch Jr.)

  - William J. Lynch Jr., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist/Adjunct Clinical Faculty

  Explore the growing public safety and health concerns associated with cannabis use. This session examines impairment, traffic safety implications, health effects, and emerging research related to THC. You'll gain a broader understanding of cannabis-related issues that continue to affect impaired-driving enforcement and public safety efforts nationwide.  

• When the Clues Meet the Road (Nate Grimm)

  - Nate Grimm

  Go beyond identifying clues of impairment and learn why those clues matter. This session connects roadside observations and DRE findings to the complex driving tasks they affect. You'll gain practical explanations that can help jurors, prosecutors, and students better understand the relationship between impairment indicators and driving performance.  

Drug Recognition Expert

• All the Tides, Weight Loss Medications, and Absorption of Alcohol and Drugs (Shawn Noonan/Maggie Nunley)

  - Shawn Noonan and Maggie Nunley, Pennsylvania DUI Association 

  Learn how GLP-1 medications and similar weight-loss drugs may affect the absorption and effects of alcohol and other impairing substances. Through scientific research and practical examples, you'll gain a better understanding of how these medications may influence impairment and create challenges during impaired-driving investigations. 

• Beyond the Basics: Mastering Expert Testimony (Jen Knudsen/Ashley Schluck)

  - Jen Knudsen, Knudsen Law Firm, LLC; Ashley Schluck, Wyoming TSRP 

  Take your testimony skills to the next level by learning techniques for presenting complex evidence clearly and confidently. Explore methods for establishing credibility, explaining technical concepts to juries, and responding effectively to challenging cross-examination. Gain practical tools for becoming a stronger and more persuasive expert witness.  

• Breath Alcohol Evolution: Evolving in Importance with Oral Fluid Testing for Drugs (Rob Duckworth)

  - Rob Duckworth, RISC Solutions, LLC 

  Examine the continued importance of breath alcohol testing in an era of expanding oral-fluid drug testing programs. Learn how evidential breath testing complements drug-impaired driving investigations and why maintaining strong breath-testing programs remains essential as agencies adopt new methods for detecting drug use. 

• Cychlorphine in North Louisiana: Real-Time Surveillance of an Emerging Synthetic Opioid Class (Joseph Jones)

  - Joseph O. Jones 

  Examine the emergence and spread of cychlorphine, a powerful synthetic opioid increasingly encountered in forensic investigations. Learn how laboratory surveillance, trend monitoring, and information sharing can help law enforcement identify emerging drug threats and respond more effectively to rapidly evolving trends in synthetic drug production and distribution.  

• From Receptors to Roadside: A Behavioral Pharmacology Approach to Understanding Drug Effects (Matthew Myers)

  - Matthew Myers, MS, MPA, DrugImpairment.com

  Gain a practical framework for evaluating unfamiliar drugs and their potential impact on driving-related abilities. Explore how receptor activity, pharmacology, and behavioral science can be used to develop informed expectations about impairment. This session helps investigators interpret complex drug-related evidence using a scientifically grounded approach.

• Shedding Light During the DRE Evaluation Process (Joe Abrusci/Karl Citek)

  - Joe Abrusci, IACP; Dr. Karl Citek, Pacific University College of Optometry

  Review current guidance on the use of UV lights, penlights, and other illumination tools during DRE evaluations. Learn how proper documentation, observation techniques, and recent training updates can strengthen impaired-driving investigations and support courtroom testimony. You'll gain practical knowledge that can improve the accuracy, consistency, and defensibility of your evaluations. 

• Winning the Total Refusal (Brad Owens)

  - Brad Owens, Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC)

  Testing isn’t required to prove impairment when you know how to build an airtight case. Winning the Total Refusal will train officers and prosecutors to turn complete non-cooperation into verdict-ready evidence to remove dangerous drivers from our roadways.

Florida Topics

• 2027 Florida Legislative Update (Garett Berman)

  - Garett Berman, Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association

  Stay informed on recent legislative changes affecting traffic safety enforcement and prosecution in Florida. Review newly enacted laws, proposed measures, and key developments that may impact impaired-driving investigations and courtroom proceedings. This session provides a practical overview of legislative trends and their potential effects on law enforcement operations.

• Florida DUI Case Law Updates (Ben Fox)

  - Ben Fox, Assistant Misdemeanor Division Chief, Training Attorney, Brevard County (FL) State Attorney's Office, 18th Circuit

  Always a popular session, Mr. Fox will give you a comprehensive update on the DUI case law in Florida and what you need to know as a law enforcement officer. Pertinent cases that have surfaced and their effects upon procedures and prosecution will be discussed.

Traffic Enforcement

• Calming Chaos: Intentionality, Warning Signals, and Safer Roadside Scenes (Matthew Ayers)

  - Capt. Matthew Ayers, Whelen Engineering Co.

  Explore how warning systems influence driver perception and behavior during roadside incidents. Learn practical strategies for improving scene visibility, reducing struck-by risks, and enhancing officer safety through effective signal messaging and traffic incident management. You'll leave with actionable recommendations that can help make roadside operations safer for officers and motorists alike.

   

• Fridays with Frank
  - Deputy Frank Sloup, Pinal County Sheriff's Office (AZ)