Posted on

Intimate Partner Violence Foundations: Capturing Coercive Control

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

In this episode, Jane and Attorney Advisor Jon Kurland discuss how offenders assert coercive control in abusive relationships, strategies for admitting evidence of coercive control to provide context to the violence, and when to charge co-occurring crimes. They explore how an offender’s coercive control tactics can be identified through interviews, investigation, and collaboration; how these tactics can be introduced as evidence in trial through 404(b) motions; and how coercive control may provide evidence to support additional charges, such as stalking.

At the conclusion of this presentation, viewers will be better able to:

  • Identify offenders’ tactics of coercive control tactics;
  • Litigate the admission of other crimes, wrongs, and acts; and
  • Analyze coercive control in relation to stalking.

Additional resources related to this episode:

Posted on

First, Do No Harm: Facilitating a Trauma-Informed Response

Trauma is a direct result of the abuse and exploitation that offenders inflict on victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. This acute trauma, often compounded with historical trauma, impacts survivor’s ability to fully participate in the criminal justice process. As a result, a collaborative, trauma-informed response that takes historical context into consideration is essential to ensuring survivor access to justice while improving community safety.

This presentation describes various forms of trauma that victims may experience throughout their lives and as a result of an offender’s victimization. Presenters define cultural humility as a key element of a successful trauma-informed response that improves our individual, collective, and systematic responses to survivors. Additionally, the presenters provide strategies to identify, document, and introduce evidence of trauma to improve case outcomes and community safety by holding offenders accountable.

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be better able to:

• Identify signs and symptoms of trauma, and implement trauma-informed practices

• Enhance victim safety, privacy, autonomy, and participation through collaboration with allied professionals

• Practice cultural humility while preparing cases to proceed, regardless of a victim’s ability to participate in the process

Posted on

Law Enforcement and Prosecution Virtual Roundtable: Setting the Stage for Success: Jury Selection for Cases Involving Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

Having an unbiased jury is essential to any trial. When trying cases involving immigrant victims of domestic or sexual violence, it is imperative that prosecutors develop a strategy to ensure that the jurors selected do not bear any prejudice against the victim and can understand the underlying dynamics of the case. 

Posted on

Recognizing and Responding to Stalking

SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman and Retired Sgt. Mark Kurkowski presented “Understanding Stalking; Investigations and Hearings,” “Technology,” “Responding to Stalking” and “Best Practices, Resources, Questions ” on behalf of the Loudoun County Domestic Abuse Response Team & Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS) in Ashburn, Virginia to an audience of

Posted on

Protection Order Practice for Prosecutors and Law Enforcement

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Teresa Garvey and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented on topics including but not limited to, recognizing stalking, threat assessment, domestic violence related firearm prohibitions, overcoming the consent defense, and pre-trial release on behalf of the National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit 

Posted on

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Symposium

SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman presented on “Recognizing and Responding to Stalking” on behalf of ACTION in Community Through Service (ACTS) in Manassas, Virginia for an audience including community advocacy organization staff, court personnel, and sexual assault program staff.

Posted on

Baltimore Area Higher Education Coalition Against Sexual Violence Sponsored Training on Stalking

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis and SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman presented “Prevalence, Dynamics and Behaviors,” “Intersection of Stalking and Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault,” “Use of Technology to Stalk,” and “Investigations, Hearings and Safety” in Baltimore, Maryland for an audience including law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and university student affairs staff.