NDAA Training: Targeted — Investigating and Prosecuting Bias-Motivated Crime

Monday, March 1, 2027 at 5:00 PM (EST) to Thursday, March 4, 2027 at 12:00 PM (EST)

Francis Marion Hotel

387 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403-6404
United States

Targeted - Investigating and Prosecuting
Bias-Motivated Crime
March 1-4, 2027 | Charleston, SC

Bias-motivated crime does not always announce itself through slurs, threats, or overt expressions of hate.

It may first appear as an assault, burglary, robbery, threat, act of vandalism, or homicide. The evidence that a person, property, or institution was targeted because of identity or perceived identity may be difficult to recognize, scattered across investigative records, or obscured by other apparent motives.

Prosecutors must determine not only what happened, but why a particular target was selected, what the evidence can establish, and what their jurisdiction's laws permit them to charge. Those decisions require distinguishing bias from opportunity, vulnerability, and coincidence; developing credible motive evidence; testing alternative explanations; and presenting a case grounded in criminal conduct rather than a defendant's beliefs alone.

These challenges arise in communities of every size, including jurisdictions without specialized hate-crime units or dedicated investigative resources.

Targeted - Investigating and Prosecuting Bias-Motivated Crime is designed to give state and local prosecutors the frameworks, investigative strategies, charging tools, and applied practice to recognize potential bias, build supportable cases, and effectively present them in court.

What You Will Do in This Program

This program combines real state and local prosecutions, targeted instruction, and practical case-based exercises. Participants will work through investigative and prosecutorial decisions, examine how new evidence changes case strategy, and apply lessons across different offenses, communities, statutory frameworks, and office sizes.

Throughout the program, you will

Recognize indicators of possible bias-motivated crime within cases that initially appear to involve ordinary criminal conduct.
Distinguish identity-based targeting from opportunity, vulnerability, coincidence, and other possible explanations for victim selection.
Develop direct and circumstantial evidence connecting the defendant, criminal conduct, selected target, and alleged bias motive.
Strengthen investigations by identifying critical first-response questions, preserving digital evidence, and addressing gaps that can undermine prosecution.
Navigate reporting and cooperation challenges when fear, distrust, or prior experiences with the justice system affect the development of a case.
Evaluate mixed motives, protected expression, and competing explanations without confusing offensive beliefs with proof of criminal conduct.
Apply relevant state laws and evidentiary standards to determine appropriate charges, enhancements, and defensible prosecution strategies.
Prepare for trial by anticipating juror assumptions, testing the prosecution theory, and presenting motive evidence clearly and persuasively.
Build practical office procedures and partnerships that improve responses to bias-motivated crime, regardless of available staffing or specialized resources.

Cost

Members: $895
Non-members: $1,050

Eligibility:

NDAA is committed to serving prosecutors and the professionals who support the prosecution function. Attendance is limited to prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates, witness coordinators, paralegals in local, state, tribal, federal, and military government attorneys' offices, law enforcement professionals, and other members of the multidisciplinary team who work in or closely with prosecution.

If you are not sure about your eligibility, please contact ssencer@ndaajustice.org

General Questions?

Please contact training@ndaajustice.org.

Registration Options

Registration Options	Credits	Price
Member	1.00 (CLE)	$895.00
Non-Member	1.00 (CLE)	$1,050.00

Agenda

March 1
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM	Registration
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM	Welcome Reception
March 2
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM	Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM	Course Orientation
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM	The Hidden Caseload Recognizing Bias-Motivated Crime in Current Prosecutions
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM	Networking Break
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM	Chosen for a Reason Building the Evidence of Targeting and Motive
11:30 AM - 11:35 AM	Stretch Break
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM	When Trust Is Part of the Case with Linda Dunikoski Building Prosecutable Cases in Communities With System Distrust (State of Georgia v. Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael, and William R. Bryan, Glynn County Superior Court, Case No. CR2000433.)
12:35 PM - 1:35 PM	Lunch on Your Own
1:35 PM - 2:35 PM	What Wasn’t in the Report? Building the Record Prosecutors Need From the First Response
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM	Networking Break
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM	Before It Disappears Preserving and Using Digital Evidence in Bias-Motivated Cases
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM	Networking Break
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Are We Ready to Charge? Testing the Evidence Before Filing
March 3
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM	Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM	New Facts. New Case? Morning Case Reassessment
9:20 AM - 10:20 AM	More Than One Why Proving Bias When Motive Is Mixed or Contested with Sarah Jafari & Prabhalya Pulim (People v. Dmitriy Popov)
10:20 AM - 10:35 AM	Networking Break
10:35 AM - 11:35 PM	Evidence or Expression? Drawing the Line Between Protected Speech and Proof of Motive
11:35 AM - 11:40 AM	Stretch Break
11:40 AM - 12:40 PM	From Motive to Charge Applying Bias-Crime Law to the Evidence We Can Prove
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM	Lunch On Your Own
1:40 PM - 2:40 PM	The Case We Can Prove When the Harm Exceeds the Available Charge
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM	Networking Break
2:50 PM - 3:50 PM	Charge It The Bias-Motivated Crime Charging Lab
3:50 PM - 4:00 PM	Networking Break
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	What the Jury Brings With Them Voir Dire and Trial Strategy in Bias-Motivated Cases
March 4
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM	Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM	Trial Ready Stress-Testing the Prosecution Before Court
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM	Targeted: The Story Behind the Crime The Final Prosecution Challenge
10:15 AM - 10:20 AM	Stretch Break
10:20 AM - 11:20 AM	No Hate Crimes Unit Required Building a Prosecutor Response Before the Next Case Arrives
11:20 AM - 11:35 AM	Monday Morning What Changes When You Get Home?
11:35 AM - 11:50 AM	Course Evaluation & Survey

Hotel

Francis Marion Hotel

387 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403

Hotel Rate

$239.00 per night, plus applicable taxes and fees.

NDAA has reserved a limited block of rooms for conference attendees. The contracted rate is available for the nights of March 1, 2, and 3, 2027.

Book Your Hotel Reservation

Online Reservation Link

Attendees may also make reservations directly with the Francis Marion Hotel by calling 843-722-0600 or 877-756-2121 and identifying themselves as attending NDAA's 2027 Training: Targeted.

Reservation Deadline

Reservations should be made by 5:00 p.m. local hotel time on Friday, January 29, 2027.

After the deadline, the hotel may continue to offer the conference rate based on availability, but the rate is no longer guaranteed.

Extend Your Stay

The $239 conference rate may be available for up to three days before and after the contracted conference dates, based on hotel availability.

Additional Fees May Apply

Current hotel charges include

Self parking
$3.00 per hour, up to $24.00 per day

Valet parking
$40.00 plus tax per day

Destination marketing fee
$2.00 plus tax per room, per night

Check In and Check Out

Check in begins at 4:00 p.m.
Check out is 12:00 p.m.

How do I request an accommodation?

We want every participant to be able to fully engage in NDAA’s training programs. Please email training@ndaajustice.org with your accommodation request. Our team will work with you to support an accessible and inclusive learning experience.

When should I submit my accommodation request?

Whenever possible, please submit your request:

Virtual programs: At least three business days before the program.
In-person programs: At least two weeks before the program.

Advance notice gives us the best opportunity to arrange the necessary supports and services. If you need an accommodation closer to the program date, please contact us. We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your request.

How do I cancel my registration or request a refund?

Please submit your cancellation and refund request in writing to training@ndaajustice.org.

Refund eligibility is based on when NDAA receives your written request, measured from the first day of the event:

When Your Request Is Received	Refund
30 or more calendar days before the event	Full refund
15–29 calendar days before the event	75% refund
14 or fewer calendar days before the event	No refund or credit
No-show	No refund or credit

Can someone attend in my place?

Yes. Substitutions are welcome at any time, and you can make the change yourself through the registration process.

If another eligible member of your office will attend in your place, please update your registration with their information so we can prepare for their arrival.

If you need assistance, email training@ndaajustice.org—we’re happy to help.

Where can I find NDAA’s other policies?

Please visit NDAA’s Policies page for additional policies and procedures, including our Code of Conduct.

NDAA reserves the right to update this policy as needed.

For More Information:

The Education & Engagement Team

training@ndaajustice.org

Designed For

State and local prosecutors handling felony and misdemeanor cases
Hate-crime and bias-motivated crime prosecutors
Violent crime, homicide, and special victims prosecutors
Prosecutorial supervisors and office leadership
Prosecutor and law enforcement investigators
Victim-witness professionals
Prosecutors working in jurisdictions without specialized hate-crime units

Key Topics Include

Recognizing Bias-Motivated Crime in Everyday Prosecutions
Proving Target Selection and Bias Motive
Distinguishing Bias, Vulnerability, and Opportunity
Digital Evidence Identification and Preservation
Community Trust and Witness Cooperation
Mixed and Competing Motives
Protected Expression and Constitutional Boundaries
Strategic Charging and Evidentiary Sufficiency
Voir Dire and Juror Assumptions
Prosecution Theory and Trial Narrative Development
Defense Theory and Evidence Stress-Testing
Building an Effective Response Without a Specialized Hate-Crime Unit

Take-Home Resources

Participants will leave with practical tools they can adapt to their own investigations, prosecutions, and offices, including:

Targeting & Motive Evidence Map
First-Response Investigation Questions
Digital Motive Evidence Preservation Guide
Mixed-Motive Analysis Framework
Bias-Motivated Crime Charging Worksheet
Voir Dire Development Guide
Trial Narrative Framework
Office Readiness Map