Foundations of Sexual Violence Prosecutions: Recreating the Reality of the Crime

This webinar is part of a 10-episode podcast-style series focused on the foundational elements of prosecuting sexual violence cases. In each episode, AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson engages in conversations with other AEquitas staff, former prosecutors with years of experience prosecuting sexual violence. 

In this episode, Jane and Attorney Advisor Patti Powers discuss how prosecutors can present evidence at trial to recreate the crime for jurors through the lens of the victim’s experience. They discuss techniques to bring evidence to life throughout various phases of trial, including jury selection, direct examination of the victim, expert testimony, and closing arguments.

At the conclusion of this episode, viewers will be better able to:
– Guide the jury’s response to evidence, from jury selection through closing argument
– Recreate the reality of the crime in direct examination of the victim
– Offer expert testimony to provide clarity and context for the victim’s response to trauma

Additional resources related to this episode:
Achieving Justice at Trial: Direct Examination of Victims of Violent Crimes
Advancing Justice: Interviewing and Presenting Testimony of Victims of Violent Crimes
Model Response to Sexual Violence for Prosecutors (RSVP Model): An Invitation to Lead, § 3.3 — Try the Case

 

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.