The Role of Toxicology in Impaired Driving Cases

Amy Miles is the Director of the Forensic Toxicology Program at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH). In addition to managing the Forensic Toxicology Program, Amy provides expert court testimony and interpretation of laboratory reports for coroners, medical examiners, attorneys and law enforcement officers. Amy also provides expert consultation for drug impaired driving cases both locally and nationally. Amy attended the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) school held in Wisconsin in 2004 and provides training and support for the DRE program. In 2005 Amy received an award from Citizens Against Drug Impaired Drivers (CANDID) for her outstanding dedication to the DRE program. Amy is the toxicology representative on the IACP DRE Technical Advisory Panel.

Amy has given numerous presentations on the topic of oral fluid roadside testing, drugs, alcohol and human performance at state and national conferences and in-service trainings and has contributed several newsletter articles to national publications. Amy is a faculty member of the Robert F. Borkenstein Course: The Effects of Drugs on Human Performance. Amy has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Guest Faculty member of the Illinois Judicial Conference Committee on Education. Amy is a member of several professional organizations and committees that pertain to alcohol, drugs and human performance and is the Chair of the SOFT/AAFS Drugs and Driving Committee and sits on the Board of Directors for the Society of Forensic Toxicologists. In 2010 and 2011 Amy was given the “Speaker of the Year” Award by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Jennifer Harmon the Director of the Crime Lab at the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Although born and raised in New York, Neil Edward Axel has been a Maryland resident throughout his professional career and has lived for the past 34 years in Jim Rouse’s planned community of Columbia in Central Maryland. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration before attending law school at American University’s Washington College of Law. Following 22 years in private practice, Judge Axel was appointed to the bench as an Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland where he served from 1997 until 2013. During his tenure on the Bench, Judge Axel presided over a variety of cases including criminal misdemeanors, traffic and alcohol-related offenses, domestic violence, and civil actions where the amount in controversy less than $30,000.00.

In addition to his regular judicial duties, Judge Axel served for more than 6 years as the Judge-In-Charge of a Drug Treatment Court and DUI Court program. These problem-solving court programs were developed as more effective judicially coordinated, treatment-focused programs to help reduce the adverse impact of repeat drug and/or alcohol offenders on the court system and on the Howard County community. Judge Axel continues to sit as a retired judge on the District Court of Maryland and serves as Co-Chair of Maryland’s Judicial Conference Committee on Problem Solving Courts which is responsible for promoting and overseeing the development, implementation and operation of problem-solving courts throughout Maryland. In 2005, Judge Axel was recognized by the Maryland State Bar Association with its Judge Anselm Sodaro Judicial Civility Award presented annually to one judge whose courtroom demeanor best exemplifies the highest ideals of civility and courtesy.

For the past 12 years, Judge Axel has served on the Board of Directors of Maryland’s Judicial Institute which is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of all in-State continuing education for the Maryland Judiciary. In addition to serving on the Board, Judge Axel has been actively involved as coordinator and lecturer at numerous programs on topics involving substance abuse, sentencing, domestic violence, the law of contracts, and perceptions of bias in the courtroom.

Throughout his legal and judicial careers, Judge Axel has been actively involved in Bar Association activities on State and local levels and community non-profits including Maryland Special Olympics. He served as Chair of both the Howard County and State of Maryland Drug Abuse Advisory Councils and was a member of Maryland’s Special Committee to Review the ABA Revised Code of Judicial Conduct from 2007 to 2009. He is a member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.