Advanced Preliminary Hearing Strategy

February 23, 2026 4 PM- 5 PM
Old County Courthouse, Lawrence KS

RSVP at KHD.Link/Training

Free and Open to Practicing Defense Attorneys and Law Students
1 hour of CLE Credit Available

Preliminary hearings are an important part of felony criminal procedure. However, too often attorneys go in without a clear strategy, fail to use the prelim effectively to build the defense, or fail to waive preliminary hearings in situations when that would be most effective. This training focuses on strategies and tactics for what to do in prelminary hearings to better defend our clients.

Mark Hartman

Mark Hartman is a Partner at the Law Firm of Bath & Edmonds. Prior to joining Bath & Edmonds, Mark spent several years as a public defender, including 18 months as the Chief Public Defender in the Western Regional Public Defender’s office in Garden City, Kansas. As a public defender there, and in Wichita before that, Mark represented people who couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer but who nonetheless deserved to have an advocate who would give them a fighting chance. Through that work, Mark educated himself on the underlying biology that informs human behavior. Mark has worked to ensure that his practice is a trauma-informed and biologically fluent practice.

Agenda

February 23, 2026

4 PM Welcome/Introductions

4:05 PM - Advanced Strategy for Preliminary Hearings

5:00 PM - Close (and we need to depart from the room promptly so staff can close up)