Philip Bogdanoff
Attorney & Instructor

Interactive Presentations for Prosecutors and Attorneys

• Police Use of Deadly Force The police use of deadly force is a hot topic in the national news. According to the Washington Post, in 2015 there were 965 people shot by police officers. Whether the police officer is a hero or villain can depend on the angle of a camera capturing the shooting. We have had several high profile cases involving the police use of deadly force. In this lively and interactive presentation we will review use of force cases, decisions from the United States Supreme Court that determines whether a police officer is charged with a crime, and the use of force continuum that police officers use to determine the force necessary to make an arrest. We will also discuss civil liability of police officers and the defense of qualified immunity. Mr. Bogdanoff will review the State v. Brelo indictment and acquittal in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Bogdanoff authored an extensive report for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors office as an independent consultant in this case

• Tasing Soccer Moms, Police Use of Force and Officer Liability A soccer mom is stopped for a traffic violation. She refuses to follow the commands of the police officer and he eventually uses his Taser before he places her under arrest. The police use of force often raises issues in the community regarding whether the police used excessive force. This presentation will examine the use of force continuum utilized by police departments, statistics regarding the use of force, civil liability of police officers deadly force and criminal prosecutions of police who use excessive force when making an arrest. This presentation was given to Ohio Civil and Criminal Prosecutors and numerous police departments in Ohio.

• Appellate Advocacy for Trial Lawyers Persuasive Brief Writing: What Judges want in their briefs. Are you a trial dog that likes to be in front of a jury but hates being in the Appellate Court? In the interactive presentation trial attorneys will learn the essentials of writing a clear and concise appellate brief. Attendees will learn how to capture the attention of the court with an interesting statement of facts, how to organize your argument, and the most effective way to edit your brief. Further, we will discuss the results of a survey Mr. Bogdanoff sent to appellate courts judges regarding their likes and dislikes when reading an appellate court brief. We will also review the applicable rules of appellate procedure that are relevant to writing a winning brief. This presentation received great reviews from attorneys and was described as “wonderful, very interesting, excellent, informative and engaging.” Oral Argument, Capturing the Heart and Mind of the Appellate Court It is estimated that ten to thirty percent of the cases are decided based upon the argument set forth by counsel. During argument judges can question you just about the record, the evidence, or anything relevant to the case. In this interactive presentation attorneys will learn the best way to prepare for argument, how to respond to a judges questions, and how to best summarize your argument. We will also view film clips of arguments before the Ohio Supreme Court and analyze the arguments of counsel and questions from the court. Mr. Bogdanoff has over 25 years of experience in arguing cases before the appellate courts and has argued twenty cases before the Ohio Supreme Court including six death penalty cases. Attorneys described this presentation as “very engaging, dynamic, informative, interactive, and relevant.”

• You Are in Contempt, An Attorney’s Guide to Contemptuous Conduct The law of contempt is intended to uphold and ensure the effective administration of justice, secure the dignity of the court and to affirm the supremacy of law. The objective of the presentation is to define contemptuous conduct and discuss the different categories of contempt including civil contempt, criminal contempt, direct contempt and indirect contempt. This presentation includes many examples of contemptuous conduct and we discuss the nature of the contempt and the permissible sanctions to punish to the contemptuous conduct. This seminar was presented at an Ohio and West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys conferences and at seminars sponsored by the Ohio Bar Association. It was also presented at an Ohio Association of Magistrates conference where it was the highest rated presentation of the day and described as “fun, very practical,” and a “great presentation.”

• But Officer… I Only Had One Beer: Suppression Issues & the Fourth Amendment In order to be an outstanding prosecutor or defense attorney, you must have an understanding of the Fourth Amendment since that can determine whether a case is dismissed or prosecuted. Attendees will review the most recent case law on search and seizure. We will watch film clips and discuss the most recent cases involving Driving Under the Influence and warrantless searches and seizures. Attorneys will learn and discuss pretextual stops, searches incident to an arrest, DUI checkpoints, 911 tips reporting drunk driving, consent searches and other exceptions to the search warrant requirement. Most importantly, lawyers will learn how to isolate the controlling issues on a motion to suppress and to argue a motion to suppress. Attendees described this presentation as “excellent, engaging, useful, good use of multimedia, interactive and a great program.”