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Welcome to the New Normal: Synthetic Drugs of Abuse
Presented By: DRI's Governmental Liability Committee
Law enforcement officers and first responders across the country face serious challenges as they interact with suspects and patients under the influence of illegal drugs. Those challenges have increased in recent years as the proliferation of synthetic drug abuse abounds. These drugs have enhanced side effects and rarely show up on standard drug screenings. This webinar will present a general overview of synthetic drugs of abuse as well as some case-based discussion. We will also discuss limitations of drug testing and predictions for what is to come regarding illicit drug use. We will also discuss best practices for attorneys defending excessive force, false arrest, and malicious prosecution cases (among others) involving plaintiffs under the influence of these types of drugs.
Who Should Attend:
- Attorneys who defend civil rights cases involving law enforcement officers and first responders (paramedics/EMTs)
- Attorneys for local governments
- Insurance adjusters and claims handlers for civil rights cases
What will you learn?:
- Review of current synthetic drugs of abuse
- Be able to recognize different signs and symptoms to specific drugs
- Best practices for discovery and preservation of evidence in civil rights cases involving synthetic drugs of abuse
- Common legal issues in defending civil rights cases involving these drugs
Kevan Elizabeth Meadors, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dr. Kevan Elizabeth Meadors is an Emergency Medicine Board Certified Physician and a Medical Toxicology Fellow at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Dr. Meadors is interested in Forensic Toxicology and provides assistance with legal cases and expert opinion. She sees Medical Toxicology patients at three hospitals in Dallas and is on call for the entire state via telephone consults, as well as works clinical shifts in the Emergency Department at UT Southwestern.
Wayne Melnick, Freeman Mathis & Gary
Wayne Melnick is a partner and Vice-Chair of Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Government Law practice section. Mr. Melnick is an accomplished trial attorney and has tried over 50 jury trials to verdict in cases throughout the country. For every year since 2013, Mr. Melnick has been named a “Georgia Super Lawyer” in the areas of civil law defense. Mr. Melnick is recognized as a national authority in civil rights cases and immunity issues and is frequently requested to speak around the nation regarding municipal liability.
