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Hitting Them Where It Hurts – Strategies for Seizing Assets in Human Trafficking Cases

Human trafficking is a lucrative business that is extremely difficult to identify, investigate, and prosecute, and there are still significant barriers to a successful outcome in these cases, including, among other things, limited resources. Even where offenders are prosecuted and convicted, victims are often left shattered physically, emotionally, and financially by their experiences. Asset forfeiture laws provide for the seizure of property that is a fruit of – or was used to further – the criminal enterprise. Utilizing these laws is one effective way to deter and disrupt traffickers while providing trafficking victims with the monetary means to rebuild their lives. This Strategies in Brief discusses civil and criminal asset forfeiture as a tool in prosecuting cases of human trafficking and related crimes.

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Assisting Human Trafficking Victims with Return of Property and Restitution

Investigating and prosecuting cases of human trafficking and violence against sexually exploited women is rife with challenges, including balancing victims’ property interests with the need to hold traffickers and exploiters accountable. Criminal justice professionals can meet these challenges by pursuing the return of victims’ property and seeking restitution where appropriate. This Strategies in Brief identifies issues that often arise when trying to return property to victims in human trafficking cases and will provide collaborative strategies for prosecutors and allied criminal justice professionals seeking to balance victim and criminal justice interests. It also presents an overview of restitution as another means of relief for victims of human trafficking to be considered by prosecutors.

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“I Hear You Knockin’ But You Can’t Come In [At Least While I’m Here]” Fernandez v. California: Third-Party Consent Search After Arrest of Objecting Suspect-Occupant

Does a suspect’s refusal of entry prevent the police from later, in the absence of the objecting occupant, obtaining the consent of an adult co-occupant to enter and search the premises without a warrant? In its recent decision in Fernandez v. California, the United States Supreme Court answered that question in the negative—at least where the police have, in good faith, removed the objecting suspect by arresting him or her. This article reviews the facts of the case, state court proceedings, the US Supreme Court’s opinion, and the gang connection and witness intimidation involved. The article ultimately concludes that the Fernandez decision will facilitate prompt and efficient evidence collection in many crimes involving domestic violence while simultaneously empowering victims to consent to reasonable investigative requests that will facilitate holding their abusers accountable.

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Disarming the Batterer: United States v. Castleman

The 2014 United States v. Castleman decision ensures that individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence—even those that include as an element “offensive touching”—will be subject to the federal prohibition on possession of firearms. This article includes analysis and prosecution strategies for domestic violence cases in response to the decision. It ultimately concludes that the effectiveness of the federal statute as a means of disarming such offenders will depend upon the care and diligence of prosecutors who must correctly identify and prosecute those offenders so that professionals having the responsibility for enforcing that prohibition can accurately and easily determine their ineligibility to possess a firearm.

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Establishing Penetration in Sexual Assault Cases

Criminal acts of sexual violence generally fall into three categories: exposure, contact, and penetration. While prosecutors introduce evidence to establish the statutory elements at trial, defense strategies focus on targeting any vulnerability in that evidence. Where the charged offense includes an element of penetration, defenses may also include specific challenges to the prosecution’s ability to prove that penetration occurred. If the prosecution is unable to prove the element of penetration beyond a reasonable doubt, the accused will be acquitted or convicted of a less serious offense. This Strategies in Brief explains the legal requirements for establishing penetration in sexual assault prosecutions and offers strategies for effectively identifying, evaluating, and presenting evidence of penetration. The article: summarizes the categories of criminal sex offense statutes and outlines the legal requirements to establish penetration; provides strategies to prepare for and try sexual assault cases involving penetration; identifies and offers guidance for responding to common defense challenges to establishing penetration in sexual assault cases.

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Keep Calm and Understand Elonis v. U.S.

The decision of Elonis v. United States, 135 S.Ct. 2001 (2015), in which the United States Supreme Court reversed the defendant’s conviction for posting on Facebook threats to harm his wife and others, has caused a good deal of concern among prosecutors, civil attorneys representing victims in protective order proceedings, law enforcement, and advocates. This article analyzes the Court’s opinion, breaks down its meaning for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving online threats and stalking, and explains why the Elonis decision is not cause for alarm. The article suggests strategies for charging and presenting evidence in cases involving threats or stalking on public forums, such as Facebook, to maximize the likelihood of a conviction that will stand up on appeal.

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Identifying, Investigating, and Prosecuting Witness Intimidation in Cases of Sexual Abuse in Confinement

Regardless of the setting in which it occurs, witness intimidation is a chronic problem with devastating implications for victims and for the prosecution of crimes. Victims of sexual abuse in confinement are especially vulnerable to intimidation because they typically have fewer opportunities to escape from (or even avoid) their abusers. This article identifies strategies for investigations and prosecutions that build trust in the criminal justice system and provide multiple, safe, and confidential points of entry for potential reporters. It also discusses victim and witness safety, retaliatory violence, verbal and physical intimidation, and financial and emotional manipulation. The author also examines the potential for intimidation and violence over the course of multiple cases and across time in a single case, as well as policies and protocols that promote effective prosecution of these cases.

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The Prosecutors’ Resource on Elder Abuse

This Prosecutors’ Resource is designed to assist with investigating and prosecuting cases involving abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of an older victim. It includes foundational knowledge on the various forms and co-occurrence of elder abuse crimes, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators, the aging body, and issues of competency and capacity that will all inform prosecutors’ decision-making in cases and interactions with victims. This Prosecutors’ Resource also provides prosecution strategies for working with older victims and addresses the individual steps and considerations for prosecuting elder abuse cases from the initial interview and investigation through sentencing.

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The Internet & Intimate Partner Violence: Technology Changes, Abuse Doesn’t

Although intimate partner abuse and harassment perpetrated through technology can look different than in-person abuse or harassment, the goals and motives are still the same: power and control. Technology allows an abuser to assert that power and control by keeping tabs on their partner – by knowing who the survivor talks to, what they do, and where they go. This is a key aspect of control. Because so many people live their lives on the Internet, it is a treasure trove of information, allowing abusers to stay informed and in control of their victims. This Strategies Newsletter provides an overview of online abuse and offers solutions for documenting the abuse, supporting survivors, and holding offenders accountable.

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SAJI Annotated Bibliography (June 2017)

This bibliography provides an extensive list of studies, best practices, strategies and other resources to support the prosecution of sexual assault, from the victim’s initial report through trial. The annotations offer overviews for every source on topics such as: performance measures, conviction rates, standards of practice, criminal justice reform, promising practices, investigation, responding to witnesses, pretrial, and trial strategies.

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