AEquitas - Champions for Justice

September 29, 2018May 28, 2021

Challenges Multiplied: Multi-Defendant Rape and Witnessed Rape

Multiple-offender and witnessed rape cases are becoming more prevalent and more complex due to the use of technology – particularly social media – to threaten and intimidate both victims and witnesses. The challenges to prosecution require innovative solutions to achieve justice while protecting victim privacy and witness safety.This webinar addresses issues that commonly arise in these cases, including: digital evidence; joinder and severance, immunity; principals and accessories; admissibility of evidence; witness intimidation; and common defenses.

This webinar recording should qualify prosecutors for 1 hour of continuing legal education (CLE) credits. Prosecutors are encouraged to contact their state bar association in reference to application requirements and related fees.

September 29, 2018May 12, 2021

Body-Worn Cameras and Gender-Based Violence: Practical Considerations from the Prosecution Perspective

Over the past decade, law enforcement’s use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) has significantly increased. While BWCs can provide helpful evidence in cases involving gender-based violence (GBV), their use may also adversely impact victim safety and privacy. This webinar discusses many of the issues law enforcement, prosecutors, forensic examiners, and other allied professionals must consider when BWCs are used in GBV investigations. The presenter describes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration – at the local, state, and federal levels – in order to develop effective BWC policies that address victim safety, privacy, and autonomy. The presenter also addresses issues such as deactivation of a BWC at appropriate points during the investigation; privacy and safety considerations; discovery, redaction, and protective orders limiting dissemination; and requests under freedom of information or open records statutes.

Please note: The audio recording had a few technical glitches. There are a few brief gaps where the training paused in order to reconnect. Please excuse these disruptions.

September 29, 2018May 17, 2021

Beyond Conviction Rates: Measuring Success in Sexual Assault Prosecutions

Prosecutorial effectiveness is commonly measured by conviction rates, largely because they are readily available. But, are conviction rates an accurate measure of success? Experienced prosecutors know they won’t win every case. In fact, some would argue that if you aren’t losing any cases, you aren’t trying the right ones. This presentation discusses promising sexual assault prosecution strategies as well as measuring effectiveness in a way that does not rely solely upon conviction rates. The presenters discuss other, more meaningful performance measures, and describe how they can be used to more accurately measure and sustain effective prosecution practices.

This webinar recording should qualify prosecutors for 1.5 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credits. Prosecutors are encouraged to contact their state bar association in reference to application requirements and related fees.

September 26, 2018May 17, 2021

Betraying the Badge: Officer-Involved Domestic Violence

Batterers who wear a badge can misuse their professional training and authority as weapons against their victims. Officers who are victims of intimate partner violence may be reluctant to identify as victims and may face negative professional consequences for reporting, or failing to report, the abuse. This webinar addresses: the complex dynamics of violence when one or both parties are in law enforcement; effective management of simultaneous administrative and criminal proceedings; provision of appropriate services for victims; and the mitigation of consequences for victim-officers who recant, fail to appear, or otherwise decline to participate.

September 26, 2018May 19, 2021

A Study in Labor Trafficking: Modes, Means, and Methods of Organized Trafficking Operations

Labor trafficking organizations often operate clandestinely in legitimate venues and industries, causing victims to routinely go undetected or be misidentified. This webinar uses a case study to highlight the key findings from a recent Urban Institute/Northeastern University report. The presenters offer strategies for overcoming some of the barriers in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting labor trafficking, including how to apply the research to practical investigative techniques, overcome common misconceptions about labor trafficking, and effectively coordinate with allied professionals in the justice system, business community, and community-based programs.

September 26, 2018May 5, 2021

#GUILTY: Identifying, Preserving, and Presenting Digital Evidence

Unfortunately, as technology becomes more integral to our lives, offenders increasingly misuse technology to facilitate crimes against women, and as a means to assert power and control in the course of an intimate partner relationship. This webinar demonstrates how cyber investigations can be used to reveal evidence of criminal activity, as well as evidence of the power and control dynamics of an abusive relationship. The presenter discusses theories of admission, rules of evidence, and case law using “real life” examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in civil and criminal proceedings.