Stephen Talpins is an advocate, consultant and trial attorney who represents clients and works with stakeholders in the commercial (premises and products liability), substance abuse (alcohol and drugs), correctional (criminal justice) and public (government and non-profit) sectors. In January 2011, Stephen was named one of the “20 People to Watch” by The Century Council.

Stephen is the Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime (NPAMC), an inclusive non-profit public-private partnership based in Washington, DC that is committed to identifying, developing, and promoting criminal justice programs that improve public safety, reduce recidivism and change lives for offenders who misuse alcohol. He also is the Vice President of the Institute for Behavior and Health. Stephen previously worked as the Vice President of Industry Relations for Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Incorporated (AMS), manufacturer of an ankle bracelet that detects alcohol use transdermally.

Stephen formerly served as National Director of Public Policy for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Director of the National District Attorneys Association – American Prosecutors Research Institute’s National Traffic Law Center (NTLC), a National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators (NAPC) Prosecutor Fellow and as an Assistant State Attorney with the Miami-Dade County (Florida) State Attorney’s Office.

He is a frequent lecturer and the author of several articles, monographs and a book chapter. In addition to being named one of the 20 People to Watch, he has received numerous awards and commendations including the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) Adjudication Award for Outstanding Prosecution, Citizens Against Drug Impaired Driving (C.A.N.D.I.D.) Award for Outstanding DRE Achievement, and MADD Florida Outstanding Prosecutor Award.

• Education

  University of Miami, School of Law - J.D. , cum laude, 1992
  

  • Iron Arrow (“The Highest Honor”)
  • Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) National Leadership Honor Society
  • University of Miami Law Review
  • Inter-American Law Review
  • Moot Court Board
  • Order of Barristers
  • Order of Coif
  • Society of Bar and Gavel
  • Mofsky Memorial Scholarship (For Service)
  • Dean’s Honor Scholarship, Dean’s List
  • Helped found the Public Interest Law Group

  Tulane University, Freeman School of Business - 2008-2009
  

  • Master Certificate in Business Marketing

  Georgetown University, Center for Public & Non-Profit Leadership - 2007
  

  • Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management

  Northwestern University - B.S., Communication Studies, 1989
  

• Honors

  • Named one of the “20 People to Watch” by The Century Council (2011)
  • MADD Florida Outstanding Prosecutor Award (2004)
  • MADD Miami-Dade County Chapter, Award of Distinction (2003)
  • Citizens Against Drug Impaired Driving (C.A.N.D.I.D.) Award for Outstanding DRE Achievement (2003)
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Certificate of Appreciation (1998)
  • National Commission Against Drunk Driving Adjudication Award for Outstanding Prosecution (1995)

• Bar Admissions

  • Florida (1992)
  • District of Columbia (2007)

• Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Courts of Florida (Southern)

• Professional & Civic Activities

  • Institute for Behavior and Health DWI Committee (2009-Present)
  • National DWI Task Force (National Center for DWI Courts) (2009-present)
  • Returning Heroes Committee (Vera Institute) (2009)
  • American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), Suspended & Revoked Working Group Member (2008-2010)
  • International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS), Member
  • The National Safety Council’s Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAOD), Member (2006-present)
  • Lifesavers Conference Planning Committee, Member and Criminal Justice Track Leader (2004-2007)
  • Creator and moderator of the Impaired Driving Forum, a Yahoo Group with over 850 members (2005-present)
  • National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) DWI Committee, Member (2004-2009)
  • International Association of Chemical Testing (IACT), Member (2004-present)
  • MADD, Northern Virginia Chapter, State Organization Representative (2005
  • MADD, Miami-Dade County Chapter, Board Member (2004)
  • National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (2008-present)
  • Institute for Behavior and Health, Vice-President (2010-Present)
  • Florida Gang Investigators Association (FGIA), Member and Southern Region
  • Florida Bar Association Grievance Committee, Miami-Dade County, Member
  • Florida Association of Chemical Testers (FACT), Member (2003-2004)
  • Police-Prosecutor Coordinating Committee, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Communications (2002-2003)
  • Dade County Chiefs of Police Traffic Enforcement Committee, Member

• Articles & Presentations

  • Voas, R., DuPont, R., Talpins, S., Shea, C., “Toward a National Model for Managing Impaired Driving Offenders,” Addiction (In Press)
  • Talpins, S., Voas, R., DuPont, R. and Shea, C., “Smart Justice for DWI Offenders: Cost Effective Solutions that Reduce Recidivism and Promote Public Safety,” Journal of Offender Monitoring (In Press)
  • Talpins, S. and Ellinger, N., PROSECUTORS WORKING WITH VICTIM ADVOCATE GROUPS (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2010)
  • DuPont, R., Talpins, S., Voas, R., “Leveraging the Criminal Justice System to Reduce Alcohol- and Drug-Related Crime: A Review of Three Promising and Innovative Program Models,” 44 The Prosecutor 38 (January/February/March 2010)
  • DuPont, R., Long, L. and Talpins, S., “The South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project: A Summary Report,” Highway to Justice 4 (Winter 2010)
  • DuPont, R., Talpins, S., “Drugged Driving and Prescription Drug Use,” (Institute for Behavior and Health, March 9, 2010) (http://druggeddriving.org/pdfs/DDCommentaryonDruggedDrivingPrescriptionDrugs3910.pdf)
  • Talpins, S., “Prosecuting Drugged Driving Cases,” MEDICAL-LEGAL ASPECTS OF DRUGS (2d ed. Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company 2007)
  • Fell, J., Hurley, C., Talpins, S,, and Ellinger, N., “MADD Strategies to Reduce Impaired Driving by 25% by 2008,” X Impaired Driving Update 76 (Fall 2006)
  • Gilbert, D., Gilfarb, M, and Talpins, S., BASIC TRIAL TECHNIQUES FOR PROSECUTORS (American Prosecutors Research Institute [APRI] 2005)
  • “The Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program: Saving Lives and Taking Prisoners,” THE DRUG EVALUATION AND CLASSIFICATION (DEC) PROGRAM (APRI 2005)
  • “Crawford Made Simple,” Between the Lines (APRI Winter 2004)
  • “Above and Beyond,” Between the Lines (APRI Fall 2004), reprinted in Green Light News (Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan [PAAM] January 2005)
  • “Selling the Obvious,” Between the Lines (APRI Fall 2004), reprinted in Green Light News (PAAM October 2004)
  • “To Serve and Protect: The Need to Partner with the Victim Groups,” Green Light News (PAAM August 2004)
  • “Police and Prosecutors Working Together: Abating Impaired Driving,” The Police Chief 35 (July 2004)
  • “To Serve and Protect: The Need for Law Enforcement to Partner with Victim Groups” (Multiple Distributions 2004)
  • “First Person Prosecutor: Taking on the HGN Fight,” ADMISSIBILITY OF HORIZONTAL GAZE NYSTAGMUS EVIDENCE (APRI 2003)
  • “Street Terrorism, Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and Other Particularly Useful Statutes,” (Various Publications and Distributions, 1997-1999)
  • Slaney, J., Talpins, S., et al, The DUI Case Preparation Manual for the Florida Law Enforcement Officer, Institute of Police Technology and Management (1996)
  • “Drug Recognition Experts (DRE): The Drunk Stops Here,”
  • Bejar, S. and Talpins, S., “Detecting and Evaluating the Drug Impaired Driver,” Broward County Psychiatric Society Newsletter, January 7, 1994 at 4
  • “D.A.R.T. ---Case Preparation and Testimony,” DRUG ALCOHOL RECOGNITION TECHNICIAN STUDENT MANUAL (Metropolitan-Dade Police Department 1994)
  • Talpins, S. and Torre, J., “Children And Cars: A Potentially Lethal Combination” (NHTSA 2006)
  • Talpins, S. and Kaps, H., “Reducing Liability from Dram Shop and Social Host Laws, ABL Insider at 5 (American Beverage Licensees Spring 2012)
  • Co-Author, "Expecting the Unexpected - Protecting Your Business" Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine, September 2012