The last few years have seen significant legislative changes to the law regarding bail, bond, and pretrial release in the Commonwealth, as well as changing attitudes toward the use of cash bonds and surety in certain jurisdictions. This one-hour CLE will provide an in-depth review of the law, procedure, and best practices regarding bail, bond, and pretrial release. The goal of this training is to provide criminal practitioners with a broader understanding of these issues, so that they can provide more effective advocacy for clients facing pretrial detention.
Hon. Thomas K. Cullen
Presiding Judge
Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
Judge Cullen was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1992. Since then, he has gained admission to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Over his career, Judge Cullen has practiced in almost every facet of the judicial system. Beginning his legal career as a Probation Officer, following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia. He then served for over a decade as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney before entering private practice. As a solo practitioner for 12 years, Judge Cullen represented many from underserved communities and worked as a Guardian Ad Litem for children and adults. Judge Cullen was appointed a Magistrate for the 5th Magisterial Region of Virginia in 2019, and in 2020 he was elected to the bench by the Virginia General Assembly. Following his election, Governor Northam commissioned Judge Cullen to serve as a JDR Judge commencing April 1, 2020.
Over his career, Judge Cullen has been involved in training judges, attorneys, and law enforcement officers in various aspects of trial practice internationally. From March 2011 through November 2014, he served as the Director of the Rule of Law Program in the Republic of Panama, funded by the U.S. Department of State. The Program's mission was to assist the Republic in transitioning from a mixed inquisitive system to an accusatory system. He was tasked with developing and implementing training for judges, litigants, and police agents regarding trial preparation and practice. For almost ten years before his work in Panama, he was a part-time instructor with the U.S. Department of Justice and the American Bar Association for training on trial advocacy in Latin American countries.
Additional service to the community includes serving on: the Board of Directors for the Alexandria Bar Association (President 2003-2004), on the Sheriff's Advisory Council, and the Alexandria JDR Advisory Council.
Sean A. Sherlock
Partner
King, Campbell, Poretz, and Mitchell PLLC
Sean A. Sherlock is a partner at King, Campbell, Poretz & Mitchell, PLLC, where he focuses his practice on criminal defense in the state and federal courts in Virginia. Prior to re-entering private practice in 2018, Sean worked as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in the City of Alexandria, where he tried jury trials on offenses ranging from drug possession to murder. Sean graduated cum laude from American University, Washington College of Law, in 2011. During law school he clerked for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Crime and Drugs Subcommittee. He has taught CLEs on various topics including electronic evidence, victimless prosecution of domestic violence cases, and Fourth and Fifth Amendment issues, at local and state-wide conferences. Sean was born in the City of Alexandria, and lives in the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Alexandria with his wife Christina and three lovely daughters.
