JOE KEIL
Report Writing & Courtroom Preparation and Testimony
8 Hours
Course Goals:
Proper report writing and courtroom preparation and testimony are vital elements within in the performance of all law enforcement officer duties. A factual and detailed report is critical to every case as well as the officer’s preparation and testimony to that investigation. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Properly prepare detailed and factual reports that capture all of the information pertinent to any investigation or action taken by the officer.
Properly prepare and testify in any civil or criminal proceeding within the scope of officer’s law enforcement duties.
Course Objectives:
The students will be able to:
Identify the need for detailed and factual reports and why they are required.
Identify the various types of reports utilized in law enforcement.
Identify the “basics” of; who, what, where, when, why, and how of report writing.
Identify the pitfalls and hazards associated with poor report writing.
Identify what makes an excellent report.
Understand that successful courtroom testimony is dependent on a thorough investigation, a detailed and factual report, case review, preparation, and professional courtroom testimony.
Identify the importance of pretrial meetings and their role in case preparation.
Identify the importance of courtroom credibility and demeanor.
About Joe Keil
Joe Keil is a 29-year veteran of law enforcement, retiring in 2016. He was assigned to the patrol division working the night shift. Keil was a K-9 handler since 1997 and has seized over $1,000,000 in cash, controlled substances, and vehicle seizures from various cases.
Joe has received extensive training through the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program Sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration certifying him as a Drug Recognition Expert and in September 1996 he attended training in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was certified as a Drug Recognition Expert Instructor.
Mr. Keil has trained thousands of law enforcement officers across the United States. In 2000 he taught at the National Sheriff’s Conference in Columbus, Ohio, and in 2002 and 2003 he was the course manager for the Wisconsin Drug Recognition Expert Course. He was a guest speaker at the 2014 RX Summit, Little Rock, Arkansas; guest speaker at the 2016 Federal Probation and Parole Conference Alabama; guest speaker at the 2016 RX Summit, Little Rock, Arkansas; key note speaker at the 2016 Alabama and Louisiana U.S. Probation-Parole Conference; guest speaker at the 2016 International Association of Forensic Investigators Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio; guest speaker at the 2018 Louisiana Homicide Conference; guest speaker at the 2018 International Police Association Conference. Keil currently instructs various drug courses for the Multijurisdictional Counter Drug Task Force for St. Petersburg College, and has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences across the country.
Throughout the course of his career Joe has attended numerous specialized schools and seminars in the area of narcotics enforcement; drug impaired and intoxicated drivers, drug interdiction, advanced interdiction, commercial motor vehicle interdiction, basic narcotics investigation, DEA pipeline, and numerous other courses. Joe currently holds certification as an Instructor in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Drug Recognition Expert, Drug Interdiction, Vehicle Contacts, Cultural Diversity, Ethics, the Complete Traffic Stop, Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals and Nark Drug Testing.
Keil has also written numerous newspaper and magazine articles on drug related issues including trends, physiology of the human body and substance abuse, K9s and their usage during traffic stops. Keil is also a published author of the book When Just Say No Doesn’t Work, a comprehensive guide to recognizing substance abuse and Operation R.U.S.H., a guide to criminal patrol.