AEquitas - Champions for Justice

Past Trainings

Our staff are available to provide customized training related to sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, human trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and witness intimidation. These trainings can be on-site or web-based and be tailored to specific jurisdictions and disciplines.

Past Trainings

Our staff are available to provide customized training related to sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, human trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and witness intimidation. These trainings can be on-site or web-based and be tailored to specific jurisdictions and disciplines.
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Meaningful violence prevention requires communities to intervene directly with youth at high risk for future violence. Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) and Family Team Meetings (FTMs) are promising practices for early intervention but may not be commonly leveraged as criminal justice innovations across the nation. As jurisdictions seek to prevent and intervene in violence, they should consider engaging family members of at-risk youth to ensure they receive proper psychological, social, and educational support. This presentation is led by criminal justice practitioners at the York County District Attorney’s Office in Pennsylvania. Presenters discuss how criminal justice professionals can collaborate with community and government professionals, as well as the families of at-risk adolescents, to support the community’s youth and mitigate the risk of future violent behavior. They also explore strategies to leverage grant funding, research partnerships, and technical assistance to move violence prevention and intervention efforts forward.

As a result of this presentation, participants will be better able to:

      • Incorporate Family Group Decision Making and Family Team Meetings as part of a broader violence prevention strategy.
      • Identify risk factors for violent behavior and leverage protective factors to mitigate the risk of future violence.
      • Evaluate and close gaps in the community’s response to violence prevention.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2020-YX-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Cuyahoga County is home to Cleveland, Ohio and experiences a violent crime rate that is almost four times the national average. The County includes over 50 law enforcement agencies, and given that violent crime in the county is not confined to a single municipality, it's essential for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to share data about violent offenders. This webinar highlights how the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO) identified and prioritized investigation and prosecution of the county’s most prolific offenders—especially those connected to firearm-related crimes. Rachel Lovell and Ryan Bokoch discuss the creation and validation of the CCPO’s Crime Strategy Unit’s priority criteria, the characteristics of the county’s most violent offenders, and the social network and spatial analyses used to identify links between people, places, and violent gun crimes. Specifically, they explain how to use incident-based criteria, as opposed to criteria based on individual characteristics, to identify violent crime drivers, and they discuss how investigators and prosecutors can use such information to triage cases more effectively and efficiently.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2020-YX-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jane Anderson, Senior Attorney Advisor with AEquitas, facilitates a conversation with Miiko Anderson, AEquitas’ newest Attorney Advisor and a former Fresno County (CA) prosecutor with extensive experience prosecuting human trafficking cases. Jane and Miiko discuss various strategies that can enhance prosecutions where judges may not have experience with cases involving sex or labor trafficking and where jurors may have misconceptions or misunderstandings about the reality of what human trafficking looks like in their community.

This webinar is the first of a podcast-style webinar series, hosted by the IACP and AEquitas, that feature conversations with various prosecutors discussing foundational elements of trauma-informed human trafficking prosecutions.  This webinar is a part of IACP/OVC’s anti-human trafficking task force training catalog.

This session, recorded as part of a two-day virtual Witness Intimidation Convening, focuses on methods for assessing threats against victims and witnesses of crime. Rick Harris, Senior Criminal Investigator of the Denver District Attorney’s Office (Denver DA), and Steve Siegel, independent consultant and former director of Denver DA’s Special Programs Unit, discuss how to assess the credibility of threats, resources and tools that facilitate threat assessments, working with candidates for witness protection, and strategies for maximizing the success of witness protection programs.

This event is supported by Grant No. 2020-YX-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions discussed during this event are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

This web-based panel explores the ways in which bias against victims from Latine communities affects the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and human trafficking. Panelists address the following topics:

-Effects of inequalities and challenges that Latine communites uniquely face as victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and human trafficking;
-Barriers to reporting crimes, such as bias and stereotypes held by law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and jurors that can translate into disparate outcomes for victims through unfair credibility determinations;
-Impact of bias on endangering accurate assessments of the probability of conviction in cases, and collateral consequences on a victim’s ability to seek restoration;
-Necessary commitments offices must make to eradicate implicit bias among its staff and enhance recruitment, mentorship, and support opportunities for individuals who are Latine; and
-Strategies for prosecutors’ offices to enhance justice for victims by engaging in cultural humility, promoting criminal record relief, improving training, and ensuring accountability reinforced by data. 

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-03987-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Rape shield laws provide prosecutors with a powerful tool to counter defense attempts to introduce irrelevant and highly prejudicial evidence of a victim’s sexual history at trial. First codified into law in 1974 in the state of Michigan, rape shield provisions now exist in every jurisdiction in the United States. They seek to eliminate the influence of an archaic and dangerous body of law that protected only the chaste, perpetuated overly broad notions of consent, and left victims without justice. All rape shield laws require exclusion of the victim’s prior sexual conduct unless the evidence falls within a specified exception. However, these laws have not stopped defense attempts to stretch the limits of codified exceptions in order to admit evidence of the victim’s sexual behavior. Marginalized communities, in particular, have been negatively affected by rulings under these laws. Prosecutors must be vigilant in their efforts to safeguard victims’ privacy to ensure they are not humiliated, silenced, and blamed for their own assaults.

This presentation discusses the history and foundation of rape shield laws, identifies and discusses the most frequent areas of appellate litigation, and provides prosecutors with the tools to effectively litigate rape shield motions. Presenters also discuss trial strategies to employ if efforts to preclude information about a victim’s prior sexual conduct are unsuccessful.

As a result of this presentation, participants will be able to:
-Litigate rape shield motions to protect victim privacy
-Prosecute cases using an offender-focused approach
-Employ strategies to mitigate harm to the victim and the case when evidence of victim’s prior sexual conduct is admitted

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-03987-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Law enforcement are regularly challenged to build cases that can be successfully prosecuted when victims are unable to participate. There are a myriad of ways to build cases that are not wholly dependent on victim testimony, and one powerful strategy is to use wiretaps that can capture communications and ultimately establish the elements of “force, fraud, or coercion”. Eavesdropping warrant investigations are technical and resource-intensive, however they are highly effective in obtaining evidence to prosecute offenders without relying on testimony from victims who are often fearful, distrustful, intimidated, and traumatized.

This training focuses on how prosecutors and law enforcement can effectively use eavesdropping warrants to hold traffickers accountable and build strong, actionable investigations even if wiretapping is not ultimately employed. Presenters provide approaches to maximize resources, even when limited, to enable jurisdictions of all sizes to utilize eavesdropping warrants. Additionally, practical strategies to comply with ethical and legal obligations are discussed, including methods to minimize harm and trauma to victims and survivors.

Learning Objectives:
-Build an investigation sufficient to support an application for an eavesdropping warrant
-Define legal requirements before, during, and after intercepting electronic communications
-Litigate pretrial motions to admit out-of-court statements and expert testimony

This presentation was produced by AEquitas under 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Human trafficking within the illicit massage industry (IMI) is the organized and profitable exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Interrupting IMI criminal networks requires law enforcement to take an equally organized approach, including investigating and prosecuting financial and organized crimes. This presentation provides an overview of IMI organizational models as well as strategies to investigate illicit businesses using a financial and organized crime approach. Presenters share case examples of investigations, which highlight both lessons learned and keys to success.

Stalking is pervasive. Every day, victims suffer immeasurable fear and distress over repeated, unwanted, and threatening conduct directed at them by their stalkers. Despite the frequency of stalking and its profound impact on victims, offenders are rarely held accountable by the criminal justice system. Many reports from victims — to family, friends, and law enforcement — are only taken seriously once stalkers escalate their behaviors and cause significant property damage, physical harm, or death. Sometimes, even victims themselves are unable to identify stalking behaviors, largely due to narrow societal and media depictions of what constitutes stalking.

In this webinar, participants are challenged to adopt a new paradigm of offender behavior. By viewing an offender’s conduct against a victim through a holistic—rather than episodic—lens, participants learn how stalking charges can provide the critical link between seemingly isolated instances. After discussing common stalking behaviors, which go far beyond pop culture stereotypes, presenters discuss how criminal justice system actors and allied professionals can enhance their response, including methods for investigating and prosecuting stalking offenses. Instead of considering stalking crimes to be too complex or as an afterthought to other offenses, participants will view these charges as key to holding offenders accountable for the full scope of their criminality.

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
-Identify stalking offenses and dynamics
-Enhance the investigation and prosecution of stalking, both as a stand-alone offense and as a co-occurring offense
-Increase the safety of stalking victims

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU and Grant No. Grant No. 2017-TA-AX-K074, both awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Stalking is pervasive. Every day, victims suffer immeasurable fear and distress over repeated, unwanted, and threatening conduct directed at them by their stalkers. Despite the frequency of stalking and its profound impact on victims, offenders are rarely held accountable by the criminal justice system. Many reports from victims — to family, friends, and law enforcement — are only taken seriously once stalkers escalate their behaviors and cause significant property damage, physical harm, or death. Sometimes, even victims themselves are unable to identify stalking behaviors, largely due to narrow societal and media depictions of what constitutes stalking.

In this webinar, participants are challenged to adopt a new paradigm of offender behavior. By viewing an offender’s conduct against a victim through a holistic—rather than episodic—lens, participants learn how stalking charges can provide the critical link between seemingly isolated instances. After discussing common stalking behaviors, which go far beyond pop culture stereotypes, presenters discuss how criminal justice system actors and allied professionals can enhance their response, including methods for investigating and prosecuting stalking offenses. Instead of considering stalking crimes to be too complex or as an afterthought to other offenses, participants will view these charges as key to holding offenders accountable for the full scope of their criminality.

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
-Identify stalking offenses and dynamics
-Enhance the investigation and prosecution of stalking, both as a stand-alone offense and as a co-occurring offense
-Increase the safety of stalking victims

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU and Grant No. Grant No. 2017-TA-AX-K074, both awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Traffickers target individuals whom they believe they can exploit with impunity – individuals who are accessible, vulnerable, and less likely to report their exploitation to law enforcement. As a result, individuals who have a criminal record, are under court supervision, or are otherwise subject to the authority of the criminal justice system are at higher risk for exploitation. Individuals who also struggle with addiction and substance use disorders are especially vulnerable to coercion. The Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report has identified “participants in court-ordered substance use diversion programs” as individuals especially vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking, and recent news reports have validated this assertion. Likewise, the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2022 National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking includes action items aimed at countering common trafficker tactics of manipulating and exploiting individuals with substance use disorders.

This presentation identifies trafficking schemes that involve recruitment from local jails and prisons, as well as from court-sanctioned treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration. The presenters focus on strategies to address victim safety concerns and investigate and prosecute trafficking that intersects with the criminal justice system. Throughout the discussion, the presenters underscore the importance of trauma-informed practices and a multidisciplinary response that includes meaningful access to survivor-led programing and low-barrier services, including appropriate healthcare.

Learning Objectives:
-Identify how traffickers identify, recruit, and coerce victims from jails, prisons, and court-ordered programs.
-Investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases in which victims have intersected with the criminal justice system.
-Collaborate with allied professionals to overcome barriers and provide meaningful access to justice for systems-involved victims.

This presentation was produced by AEquitas under 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

When offenders engage in a course of conduct that includes sexual exploitation, they perpetrate dangerous and often misidentified and misunderstood crimes, including stalking and sex trafficking. Both crimes are highly contextual in nature and require a nuanced analysis of the relationship between the offender and the victim, as well as the various tactics utilized by abusers to control, intimidate, and traumatize victims with impunity. Stalking behaviors are used to force or coerce individuals to engage in commercial sexual activities or to intimidate and prevent them from engaging with the criminal justice system.

Presenters explore the dynamics of stalking and sex trafficking. They focus on the importance of understanding the context in which both crimes occur and the common tactics used by perpetrators. This presentation provides strategies to improve the identification of these “course of conduct” crimes, increase offender accountability through successful investigations and prosecutions, and minimize further harm to victims and survivors by ensuring they are connected with meaningful services and tools to plan for their safety.

At the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Recognize the intersections between stalking and sexual exploitation
-Investigate and prosecute crimes of stalking and sexual exploitation
-Connect victims and survivors to meaningful services, including safety planning

 

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU and 2017-TA-AX-K074 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Prosecutors seeking justice in crimes of sexual and domestic violence must often balance holding perpetrators accountable and valuing victim autonomy. Many victims are unable to participate in the prosecution for reasons including fear, ongoing trauma, love for or loyalty to the perpetrator, intimidation, financial harm, self-blame, or embarrassment. Reliving the traumatization of their sexual assault or domestic abuse while feeling like they are in the spotlight can be overwhelming and lead to reluctance to participate in the process. When this happens, the pressure to ensure offenders are fully prosecuted may tempt prosecutors to utilize more extreme methods such as material witness warrants or to seek body attachments or bench warrants—without full appreciation of the impact on the victim or a consideration of possible alternatives.

This presentation discusses the obstacles victims face when considering whether to participate in the prosecution of domestic violence or sexual assault and suggests strategies that prosecutors can use to minimize these barriers to facilitate victim participation. Presenters highlight the negative impacts that pre-trial detention and other next-level measures have on victims and on the community. In circumstances when victims are unable to participate, presenters will discuss possible alternatives for the prosecutor and considerations for balancing public safety risks with victim self-determination.

At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Identify barriers faced by victims participating in investigations and prosecutions of sexual and domestic violence.
-Develop strategies to support victim participation.
-Balance public safety concerns in holding offenders accountable with victim interests in autonomy and self-determination.
-Employ the least restrictive methods possible to enable victims to testify when next-level measures must be utilized.

 

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.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are invaluable collaborative partners in a prosecutor’s response to human trafficking. Victims of sex and labor trafficking are at risk of serious injury, as well as short- and long-term physical and psychological health consequences, and SANEs provide much-needed medical care to these patients. Trafficking investigations and prosecutions are also enhanced by the addition of SANEs to a multidisciplinary team. SANEs document injury, collect evidence, and provide critical insight into medical issues and survivor responses to trauma that can educate criminal justice practitioners and jurors alike.

Co-presented by SANE and prosecutor subject-matter experts, this presentation demonstrates the value of collaboration in trafficking cases. The SANE explains the health risks associated with sex and labor trafficking, the content of a medical forensic examination, and documentation of victim statements and demeanor. The prosecutor provides strategies to improve the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases by using SANEs as fact and expert witnesses and litigating the admissibility of victim statements under the medical hearsay exception.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Enhance prosecutions by ensuring that victims of sex and labor trafficking are provided meaningful access to health care and injuries and medical history are documented
-Articulate the role of the SANE in providing medical-forensic exams
-Present medical evidence and expert testimony at trial

 

This presentation was produced by AEquitas under 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), also known as Red Flag Laws, are a promising tool of intervention but are relatively unknown to prosecutors across the nation. ERPOs are court orders that temporarily restrict access to firearms for individuals at elevated risk of harming themselves or others. As caseloads swell and rates of violence surge, prosecutors, law enforcement, and advocates can learn about and begin to deploy tools that can help mitigate and prevent future harm upstream— when warning signs first come to light.

This presentation is led by national experts from the Regional Domestic Violence Firearms Enforcement Unit of the King County, Washington Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Presenters discuss how criminal justice professionals can utilize ERPOs to restrict firearm access for individuals exhibiting a wide variety of high-risk behaviors. They also explore the efficacy of ERPOS to reduce gun violence.

As a result of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Understand the purpose and scope of extreme risk protective orders
-Incorporate extreme risk protective orders into existing protective order practice

Sexual violence cases are often mistakenly reduced to a contest of credibility between the victim’s disclosure and the offender’s denial. Even though jurisdictions do not require corroboration of the victim's testimony at trial, jurors may find it difficult to convict a defendant absent additional evidence. While crimes of sexual violence typically do not occur in front of other individuals, there are always witnesses and evidence to corroborate what happened before, during, and after the assault. By presenting the full scope of admissible evidence, prosecutors will increase the likelihood of success at trial while reducing the burden on victims.

This presentation addresses strategies and tactics to understand and explain victim disclosures through a trauma-informed lens; utilize victim behavior experts to educate fact-finders about the range of victim responses to sexual violence; and examine offender characteristics, motivations, and behaviors, as well as the impact of the offender’s actions on the victim. The presenter suggests strategies for overcoming common misconceptions at trial, including establishing a compelling trial theme, introducing evidence of the defendant’s predatory behavior, presenting corroborating evidence to support witness credibility, and recreating the reality of the crime for the jury.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Maintain focus on the offender.
-Support victim and witness credibility with corroborating evidence.
-Develop and present expert testimony to explain victim behavior. -Recreate the reality of the crime at trial.

Image exploitation involves the nonconsensual creation, possession, or distribution of an image or images depicting victims nude, semi-nude, engaged in consensual sexual activity, or being sexually assaulted. It exposes victims to immeasurable trauma of essentially infinite duration, permanently invading their autonomy and security. As technology continues to evolve more quickly than the law, investigators and prosecutors must be prepared to address image exploitation crimes by collaborating on digital investigations; leveraging existing, if imperfect, statutes; and combating victim-blaming attitudes. 

This presentation explores the various forms of image exploitation and the types of statutes under which this abuse can be prosecuted. The presenter provides strategies to introduce relevant digital evidence while ethically safeguarding victim privacy. Resources are also be provided to support victims who would like to explore non-criminal avenues of achieving justice. 

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Identify crimes of image exploitation and available statutes that may be used to prosecute offenders.
-Make charging decisions that hold offenders accountable for the full extent of their criminal behavior.
-Combat victim-blaming attitudes and articulate the harm caused by offenders who commit crimes of image exploitation.

Prosecutors are leaders, serving their communities by protecting victims and holding offenders accountable. Prosecutors wield wide powers of discretion and therefore are tasked with being gatekeepers to, and from, the criminal justice system. When communities develop responses to human trafficking cases, prosecutors are uniquely positioned to guide policies and practices, including how victims and survivors are treated when they interact with the criminal justice system. Beyond the traditional role in the courtroom, prosecutors can also shape community responses by convening members of the community, educating the public, and prioritizing operations aimed at identifying and serving the most vulnerable individuals in our communities.

This presentation focuses on how prosecutors can collaborate with others to better serve their communities by holding traffickers accountable and protecting victims and survivors in meaningful ways. The presenters provide strategies to leverage the prosecutor’s leadership role to positively influence how investigations are initiated, conducted, and charged. Additionally, the prosecutor’s overlapping ethical obligations are discussed, focused on the duty to achieve justice over convictions and to proactively remedy wrongful convictions.

Learning Objectives:
- Leverage leadership role to promote trauma-informed, victim-centered policies and practices
- Collaborate with traditional and non-traditional partners to hold offenders accountable
- Partner with victim service professionals to ensure that survivors of sex and labor trafficking have meaningful access to appropriate services

As violent crime increases nationwide, reports of increases in carjackings has become a concern in many communities. However, because jurisdictions often include carjackings under a general category of robbery, it is difficult to accurately identify the number of carjackings occurring separately from those robberies. This webinar spotlights the experiences of an IPS grantee’s efforts to tackle this issue from a data collection and analysis perspective. Ryan Bokoch of the Cuyahoga County Office of the Prosecutor in Cleveland, OH discusses his Crime Strategy Unit’s effort to collect and analyze data concerning carjackings in the Cleveland area so that the Office of the Prosecutor and their partners would have an accurate understanding of the numbers, location and perpetrator/victim demographics associated with this violent and potentially deadly crime.

Upon completion of this session, participants will be better able to:

-Assess current data collection efforts regarding carjacking crime.
-Analyze data to create an accurate picture of carjacking crime within your jurisdiction.
-Utilize data to inform the response to carjacking crime.

This webinar highlights the Center for Court Innovation’s (CCI) Child Witness Materials Development Project, an initiative funded by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and a partner project of AEquitas. In 2021, OVC published a package of support materials for child victims and witnesses of crime that CCI had created, and in January 2022, OVC published an additional package of interactive support materials specifically for youth who have experienced human trafficking. A multidisciplinary group of national trafficking experts with professional and and lived experience contributed to the design and development of these materials.

In this webinar, participants learn more about how young trafficking survivors experience the justice system, and how they can address youth’s needs and provide developmentally-appropriate information and emotional support. Participants learn how to effectively use the Child Witness materials in their roles so youth feel more informed and empowered as they navigate their own healing process in addition to navigating the system.

While awareness of human trafficking is on the rise, there are still blind spots that prevent law enforcement from recognizing all forms of exploitation.  Men, boys, and victims of labor trafficking through forced criminality are often overlooked because they do not fit the typical depiction of a human trafficking victim.   However, in the case of Victor Rax, Utah’s Attorney General’s Office was able to identify dozens of boys and young men from immigrant communities who were forced to sell drugs after being sexually, spiritually, and physically abused. 

The presenters use the Rax case as a backdrop to discuss the realities of labor trafficking through forced criminality, including how traffickers use grooming tactics common in both child sexual abuse cases and in gang culture to recruit and coerce victims to commit crimes.  Strategies to better identify and respond to cases of forced criminality are discussed through a detailed examination of the Rax investigation which led to his eventual arrest for sexual abuse and labor trafficking. 

At the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
-Recognize and describe methods traffickers use to identify, recruit, and coerce victims of labor trafficking via forced criminality
-Conduct trauma-informed investigations and prosecutions in cases where male victims have been abused and exploited to effectively hold offenders accountable
-Collaborate to provide support to and connect male victims of forced criminality/human trafficking with meaningful services

Human traffickers control their victims through force, fraud, and coercion. In the case of intimate partner sex trafficking, these methods of control are uniquely manipulative and difficult to identify. Understanding the historical and circumstantial factors that lead to vulnerabilities exploited by traffickers in these relationships allows law enforcement and prosecutors to more successfully address and minimize harm to victims while effectively investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases.

This presentation describes how, in addition to violence and threats, traffickers exploit feelings of love and loyalty to maintain power over their victims and perpetrate sex trafficking and related crimes. The presenters discuss the importance of identifying victims of intimate partner human trafficking to ensure victim safety and provide access to services and support, while at the same time articulating offender conduct to ensure they are held accountable for their actions.

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

One specific responsibility of law enforcement and prosecutors working on human trafficking cases is to write various reports, affidavits, and briefs that effectively document incidents of sex and labor trafficking. It is crucial for these documents to accurately reflect complex trafficking dynamics and case-specific facts to establish probable cause and effectively litigate issues at trial. When law enforcement and prosecutors collaborate with others, including those with lived experience, they are better equipped to successfully articulate how traffickers use a variety of overt and subtle tactics to exploit victims—thus establishing the element(s) of force, fraud, and/or coercion necessary for cases involving adult victims.

This presentation focuses on the core competencies needed by law enforcement and prosecutors to establish the elements of human trafficking. Additionally, facilitators discuss the necessity of protecting victim privacy and ensuring that public records and press releases accurately describe trafficking dynamics. In combination with other external messaging, this documentation can help educate the public—and potential jurors—about the realities of trafficking.

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

• Effectively document traffickers’ actions to establish the elements of force, fraud, or coercion;

• Articulate the realities of human trafficking when communicating with the media and the public; and

• Ethically protect victim and witness safety in the public record.

This webinar spotlights Yolo County’s new criminal justice transparency portal, an innovative website created by the District Attorney’s Office, the Yolo County Multi-Cultural Council, and Measures for Justice (an organization that uses accurate criminal justice data to spur reform). The portal was developed to help the office analyze prosecution data and enhance trust with the community through transparency and accountability. It allows citizens an intimate glimpse into the prosecutorial process in Yolo County—including crime trends that are affecting their community; law enforcement resources in the area; and detailed case statistics pertaining to referrals, charging, diversion, and sentencing decisions. During this webinar, presenters give a live walkthrough of the portal, chronicle the process behind publicizing this data, and discuss their aspirations and policy goals driving this project.

Interacting with the criminal legal system can be confusing, overwhelming and even retraumatizing for children and teens. However, through the Center for Court Innovation's Child Witness Materials Development Project, a package of interactive, developmentally-informed educational materials has been created to facilitate effective and trauma-informed support for children involved in state, federal, and tribal court systems as victims and witnesses of crime. 

In this webinar, participants learn about how children and teens experience the criminal legal system; best practices in educating, preparing, and supporting children through this experience as a practitioner; and how these new court support materials can be used to mitigate trauma by helping children to feel more informed, empowered, and less distressed when navigating this system.

Every year, 3-4 million women in the U.S. are abused and 1,500-1,600 are killed by their abusers. One challenge, for first responders to a domestic disturbance where both parties are injured, is identifying the predominant aggressor. Police and prosecutors must also be able to determine the level of danger facing a victim. Several factors are associated with an increased risk of homicide in domestic violence relationships. While we cannot predict what will happen in a particular case, danger assessments can help determine the risk that a victim faces, enabling us to better prioritize our efforts and support the victim.

This presentation emphasizes the importance of contextual analysis in evaluating criminal responsibility at the arrest, charging, pre-trial, and sentencing phases. Such analysis will help to ensure that the dynamics of domestic violence are properly factored into decisions about arrest, charging, plea negotiations, and sentencing, and will enhance the quality of justice for those who have been victims of abuse. The presentation also discusses the importance of danger assessments and best practices in lethality evaluation.

At the conclusion of this presentation participants will be better able to:
- Evaluate the context within which an act of violence occurs.
- Overcome batterer manipulation of the justice system.
- Identify risk and lethality factors.

Traumatic crimes can impact victims in any number of ways, some obvious and some less so. Moreover, each victim’s response to trauma is unique to that individual. In order to keep victims safe and engaged throughout the criminal justice process, law enforcement and first responders must interact with victims in ways that consider the physical and emotional effects of trauma. Interviewers must understand more common responses to trauma that result from these effects and appreciate the impact of trauma on the victim’s ability to recall and recount details of the traumatic event.

This presentation identifies barriers to successful interviews and explores techniques for overcoming them. The presenter explains how a traditional fact-gathering approach to interviewing can be counterproductive or even harmful to the victim and to the investigation. Alternative approaches to interviewing and questioning are identified and analyzed for their potential to minimize re-traumatization and enhance our ability to recreate the reality of the crime at trial. An emphasis is placed on integrating a trauma-informed response from the first contact with a victim through the conclusion of the case, with realistic goals for interviews and meetings at every stage of the process.

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

- Use open-ended and sensory questions

- Apply an ask and explain methodology

- Offer victims options and information for connecting with community resources

- Implement trauma-informed strategies that enhance victim safety and participation

The way we interact with technology continues to increase and evolve as we rely on computers, smart phones, and other digital devices to complete many of our daily activities. Unfortunately, as technology becomes more integral to our lives, offenders have increasingly misused technology to facilitate crimes against women, and as a means to assert power and control in the course of an intimate partner relationship. Where technology is being used to perpetrate crimes, investigators and prosecutors can identify, preserve, and present digital evidence in order strengthen cases, support victims, and hold offenders accountable for the full range of their criminal and abusive activity

This presentation 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 intimate partner relationship, but while also supporting the protection of victim privacy. The presenter discusses theories of admission, rules of evidence, and case law is discussed using “real life” examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in civil and criminal proceedings.

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

- Identify how offender misuse technology to perpetrate crimes and assert power and control against intimate partners

- Coordinate with allied professionals to better identify sources of digital evidence that can be used to strengthen prosecutions

- Effectively litigate the admission of digital evidence by analyzing applicable evidence rules, current case law, and underlying theories of admission

Witness intimidation and manipulation factor into almost every domestic violence prosecution. Abusers engage in these tactics because they often work. When witness intimidation is successful, victims decline to participate in the prosecution, they minimize the abuse on the witness stand, or they testify on behalf of the abuser.

But what if we eliminate the payoff for the would-be intimidator? Coordinated efforts by police, prosecutors, and advocates in the form of safety planning, expedited prosecution, victim education, and other strategies can reduce the opportunities for intimidation, thereby increasing the likelihood that victims will feel safe testifying in court. And prosecution strategies, from charging intimidation-related offenses to filing motions to admit out-of-court statements by victims who have been intimidated into silence, can actually increase the likelihood of conviction and the penal consequences for the intimidator. This presentation focuses on forfeiture by wrongdoing as a solution in the case of witnesses who are unavailable for trial due to the offender’s wrongful conduct.

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

• Reduce opportunities for intimidation.

• Educate victims about intimidation.

• Preserve evidence of intimidation that will help to convict the abuser, regardless of whether (or how) the victim testifies.

• Litigate motions to admit evidence under the doctrine of forfeiture by wrongdoing.

Presented by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) Grantee

The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across the United States, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the past two decades. In response, some state and local prosecutors have taken a data-driven approach to the crisis. This webinar spotlights the experiences of an Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grantee’s efforts to tackle one troubling aspect of the opioid epidemic—doctors and pharmacists who inappropriately disseminate opioid medications. Tamara Holland of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in Texas discusses data-driven methods to identify and prosecute “pill-mill” practices, such as analyzing prescription history data through Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and overdose death data from medical examiners’ offices.

Upon completion of this session, participants will be better able to:

- Collaborate with allied professionals to collect and analyze comprehensive data.

- Identify connections between at risk-patients and drug-diverting pharmacies and doctors.

- Utilize data analysis in conjunction with other intelligence-building techniques to inform charging strategies for prosecuting “pill-mill” doctors.

Presenters: Patricia D. Powers, AEquitas Attorney Advisor and Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Professor of Psychology at Michigan State

This presentation discusses the impact of trauma on victims of violent crimes in cold and current cases, and explore practice-based research to assist allied professional in helping victims access and describe their experience. Emphasis is placed on integrating a trauma-informed response from the first contact with a victim or renewed contact in a cold case, through the conclusion of the case.

Victims are impacted by violent crimes in a myriad of ways. Although there are commonalities, each victim’s response to trauma is unique to that individual. In order to support victim engagement throughout the criminal justice process, allied professionals must interact with victims in ways that consider the physical and emotional effects of trauma as well as the impact of COVID-19.  Interviewers and prosecutors presenting victim testimony at trial must understand common responses to trauma and how they may affect a victim’s ability to recall and recount details of their experience of a violent crime.
 
This presentation discusses the impact of trauma on victims of violent crimes in cold and current cases and explore research and practice-based information to assist allied professionals in helping victims to access and describe their experience. Emphasis is placed on integrating a trauma-informed response from the first contact with a victim or renewed contact in a cold case, through the conclusion of the case.

This webinar is presented by Patricia D. Powers, Attorney Advisor with AEquitas, and Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. 

Presented by Jonathan Kurland, AEquitas Attorney Advisor and Tara Patet, Senior Prosecutor, City Attorney's Office in St. Paul, MN.

This webinar was one of eleven in a series hosted by the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life between July 13th and November 30th, 2021.

Click here to learn more.

Advancing Justice With DNA Technologies will be presented by Patricia D. Powers, Attorney Advisor with AEquitas, and Misty Marra Williamson, DNA Analyst and DNA Laboratory Coordinator at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center on Wednesday, July 28th from 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM ET. Doors will open at 1:55 PM ET. 

This webinar explores the capabilities of STR and Y-STR testing, the use of CODIS for familial searching when authorized, and the use of public databases for FGG searches. The presenters also explore legal issues with collecting abandoned DNA to compare with extant DNA in FGG searches, as well as the effective presentation of investigatory evidence at trial.

Join the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project (NIWAP) for a Question and Answer Session with USCIS U visa Policy Experts , including AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson, as they answer questions about the current state of the U Visa program and certification.

Please note, this roundtable is exclusively available to law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim advocates that work with these agencies and you must register in advance.

Justice can be measured and achieved in a variety of ways. In human trafficking cases, there are a number of avenues to justice—and it is paramount to consider both a victim’s perception of justice and law enforcement’s objective to maximize offender accountability. Determining the most effective route to justice requires knowledge of each avenue and the unique statutes, policies, and procedures that shape them.

During this webinar, participants are introduced to, “Maximizing Justice: Building a Prosecution Review Process.” This resource supports prosecutors and allied professionals in identifying the most effective route to prosecute traffickers. The discussion highlights how task forces can use this process to conduct investigations more effectively, make charging decisions, support victims, and ultimately proceed to trial.

Today, law enforcement officers not only address crime, but serve as front line responders to homelessness, mental health crises, and substance use disorders. While many police departments have mental health evaluation or Quality of Life teams, they often do not have the tools readily available to connect or reconnect the individuals they encounter to necessary services. 

This webinar spotlights the Long Beach City Prosecutor's Office's efforts to tackle this real-time information gap for police officers. City Prosecutor Doug Haubert and Legal Technologist Byron Bolton will discuss the creation of the Government User Integrated Diversion Enhancement System (GUIDES), a phone application that allows officers to immediately access relevant criminal justice and treatment information about an individual from anywhere in the city. This app not only grants law enforcement an extra measure of safety when encountering new individuals—by allowing them to search for any outstanding court orders or histories of mental health—but enables officers to make better-informed decisions about how to approach these individuals and which services to connect them to. Implementing this innovative technology required multiple partnerships and information-sharing protocols. The presenters discuss these crucial steps as well as the hurdles they overcame to launch this innovative application.

Those who commit crimes involving sexual violence often exploit the disparate power dynamic between victim and offender — whether the relationship is between teacher and student; producer and actor; coach and athlete; or law enforcement officer and arrestee, probationer, or inmate. By wielding weapons of authority, the perpetrator leaves the victim with little choice but to submit to sexual acts and stay quiet in the aftermath, fearing that they will be disbelieved or blamed if they try to report it. This is especially true in the law enforcement context, where victims are usually in the custody of their offender and have a history of criminal activity, which often has an impact on their credibility in the eyes of untrained professionals, juries, and the public.

This presentation addresses the reaches of federal jurisdiction to prosecute sexual violence by those acting under color of law at all levels of government. It discusses how coordination among federal and state authorities can enhance investigations into reports of sexual violence, and if the evidence permits, help determine in which jurisdiction to bring charges. It further focuses on three critical Federal Rules of Evidence that can be used to corroborate a victim’s account and build a strong case — even where there is no physical evidence or eyewitness testimony.

AEquitas and the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) hosted a pop-up webinar to discuss application eligibility and the process for applying for FY’21 Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime (IPS) funding. The presentation focused on program requirements and highlighted examples of successful proposals.

The criminal justice system can serve as both an on-ramp to and an off-ramp from sex trafficking and exploitation. As gatekeepers within the criminal justice system, prosecutors are uniquely positioned to identify sexually exploited women and girls, make fair charging decisions, facilitate criminal record relief, and link survivors with services and support. In these ways, prosecutors can clear the way to a different life path and achieve justice for survivors. 

The presenters bring their lived and professional experience to this presentation, which emphasizes prosecutors' duties to achieve justice over convictions and to proactively remedy wrongful convictions. Presenters discuss strategies for engaging survivors, avoiding wrongful criminalization, and providing access to just criminal record relief.

Human traffickers assert force, fraud, and coercion against victims in order to profit from commercial sex or forced labor or services. Offenders use a variety of tactics designed to ensure that victims will do what they are told without resistance, questioning, or disclosure to law enforcement. This physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual control too often allows traffickers to escape accountability.  This presentation is designed to improve responses to trafficking and exploitation while ensuring that victims are not inappropriately charged with crimes they are forced to commit.

 

Collaboration is key to any response to trafficking and exploitation, but imperative where the complexity of victim-offender dynamics is not easily understood or revealed.  This presentation provides law enforcement and prosecutors with strategies to uncover the reality of the victim’s involvement in the trafficking organization or within the exploitation dynamic. Presenters provide a framework for assessing the culpability of individuals who may initially be identified as both victims and defendants. They also provide suggestions to assist prosecutors in making ethical and appropriate immunity and charging decisions as well as designing appropriate dispositions.

The criminal justice system can serve as both an on ramp to and an off ramp from sexual exploitation. To minimize on ramps and maximize off ramps, we must first understand the complex nature of sex trafficking and exploitation. Traffickers prey upon vulnerabilities that are often historic and systemic in nature.  They use a variety of tactics designed to ensure that victims will do what they are told without resistance, questioning, or disclosure to law enforcement. This physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual control over victims too often allows traffickers to escape accountability.  This presentation is designed to improve our understanding of what it is like to be sexually exploited and to illustrate how we can improve our response to victims, who often do not see the criminal justice system as a viable off ramp from “the Life”.

The presenters bring their lived and professional experience to this presentation, which will focus on factors that impact entry into “the Life”, the realities of sexual exploitation and trafficking, and the factors that impede or delay exits.  The presentation will provide criminal justice professionals with tools for identifying individuals vulnerable to exploitation, limiting on-ramps, and providing viable off-ramps to achieve justice for survivors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised new issues and exacerbated persisting challenges for prosecutors, who are consistently faced with the task of preparing cases that are victim-centered, sensitive to constitutional guarantees, and resilient to vulnerabilities on appeal. Virtual hearings and other accommodations made to criminal justice processes in light of COVID-19 implicate concerns related to the rights of victims and defendants, as well as the public’s right to open and accessible proceedings. Issues related to pre-trial detention and potential continuances also take on new dimensions during the pandemic. Furthermore, the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, and the complexity it adds to cases, lends itself to the litigation of novel defense motions and challenges. An effective response to this unprecedented time requires proactive consideration of statutes and case law and also engages fundamental principles of pre-trial practice.

This webinar addresses potential legal issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses strategies to prepare for defense challenges and mitigate appellate exposure.

This webinar addresses the potential impact of pandemic safety measures on criminal jury trials and strategies for protecting the integrity of the proceedings. Presenters discuss strategies for triaging delayed cases; considerations of constitutional rights, including the 6th amendment right to a speedy and public trial, the 6th amendment right to confrontation,  and the 1st amendment freedom of the press; the use of juror questionnaires as a way to minimize potential exposure to COVID-19 during jury selection; and methods for adapting prosecution strategies to virtual platforms.

This two-part webinar series presented by the Denver District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with AEquitas, explores the scope of data available from sources of digital evidence and strategies on how such data can effectively be developed with forensically-sound practices. Presenters discuss theories of admission, rules of evidence, and “real life” examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in court proceedings. Part II of the series discusses how legally-obtained data can be analyzed, depending on the type of data in question. Presenters also discuss strategies for effectively presenting data at trial.

This two-part webinar series presented by the Denver District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with AEquitas, explores the scope of data available from sources of digital evidence and strategies on how such data can effectively be developed with forensically-sound practices. Presenters discuss theories of admission, rules of evidence, and “real life” examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in court proceedings. Part I of the series explores the different types and sources of electronic data that are available to investigators; how such data can be properly collected, regardless of whether it is in a physical device or electronic records; and methods to facilitate searching and seizing data.

Gangs are notorious for perpetrating firearm- and drug-related offenses, but many gangs and their members also regularly engage in violence against women, including rape, physical violence, and human trafficking. Gang members use physical and sexual violence to control their victims and the communities within which they operate. Additionally, some gangs engage in trafficking to exploit gang members and non-members to increase gang profits. The pervasive nature of gang-related violence, combined with gang members’ habitual intimidation of victims and witnesses, present unique challenges to the effective investigation and prosecution of these cases.

This presentation discusses tangible strategies for improving the identification, investigation, and prosecution of gang-related violence against women. The presenter explores collaborative methods for supporting victims, enhancing community safety, holding gang offenders accountable, and preventing and effectively responding to witness intimidation.

This presentation identifies barriers to successful crime victim/witness interviews and explore techniques for overcoming those barriers, with a special emphasis on virtual interviews that are compliant with COVID-19 social distancing measures. The presenters discuss the limitations of a traditional fact-gathering approach and introduce alternative techniques to minimize re-traumatization and enhance our ability to re-create the reality of the crime at trial. An emphasis is placed on strategies for integrating a trauma-informed response from the first contact with a victim through the conclusion of the case, with realistic goals for interviews and virtual meetings at every stage of the process.

The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across the United States, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the past two decades. In response, state and local prosecutors have taken a multifaceted approach to the crisis: diverting defendants with substance abuse issues from traditional prosecution, educating  communities about the dangers of opioid addiction; and increasingly, seeking to hold drug traffickers and dealers accountable for the deaths they cause. This webinar will spotlight one office’s efforts to tackle the opioid crisis. Tonya Lupinacci of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in Norristown, PA will discuss strategies that are broadly applicable to jurisdictions across the country, with a special emphasis on prosecuting Drug Delivery Resulting in Death and similar crimes. The session will focus on the evidence necessary for building these cases, theories of offender liability, and effective presentation of evidence at trial.

This presentation will address the ethical considerations outlined above in the context of charging decisions, the investigative function of a prosecutor, jury selection, and victims’ rights. The presenters will use hypothetical case scenarios to challenge prosecutors to evaluate their decision-making in the context of ethical rules and principles. The presenters will also explore how social distancing and quarantine measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may affect how prosecutors meet their ethical obligations, including when it comes to providing discovery and ensuring victims’ rights are upheld.

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

  • Identify ethical responsibilities at each stage of the criminal justice process.
  • Navigate ethical challenges related to prosecutorial discretion, recantation, and disclosure of evidence.
  • Approach issues pertaining to charging, social media investigations, jury selection, and victims’ rights within an ethical framework.

This presentation will address the challenges inherent in prosecuting known offenders and alcohol-facilitated sexual assault, with an emphasis on overcoming the consent defense. The presentation will examine offender characteristics, motivations, and behaviors as well as the impact of the offender’s actions on the victim. The presenter will suggest strategies for overcoming common misconceptions at trial, including the importance of establishing a compelling trial theme, introducing evidence of the defendant’s predatory behavior, presenting corroborating evidence to support witness credibility, and recreating the reality of the crime at trial.

Alcohol is the most common weapon used to facilitate sexual assault. Offenders use alcohol because it renders victims vulnerable, affects memory, and impairs judgment and physical ability. Its unique toxicological effects, widespread use, and ease of consumption make it ideal for offenders who commit sexual assaults. This two-part presentation will explore common issues and challenges related to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases where alcohol is present. More specifically, it will focus on identifying corroborating evidence, interviewing victims, basic toxicology, the effect of societal attitudes about alcohol on determinations of victim credibility, and trial strategies. In addition, this presentation will promote a victim-centered response that incorporates offender-focused strategies for an effective trauma-informed investigation and prosecution. Throughout the discussion, the presenters will discuss how strategies may be implicated and altered by social distancing measures currently in place in response to COVID-19.

Alcohol is the most common weapon used to facilitate sexual assault. Offenders use alcohol because it renders victims vulnerable, affects memory, and impairs judgment and physical ability. Its unique toxicological effects, widespread use, and ease of consumption make it ideal for offenders who commit sexual assaults. This two-part presentation will explore common issues and challenges related to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases where alcohol is present. More specifically, it will focus on identifying corroborating evidence, interviewing victims, basic toxicology, the effect of societal attitudes about alcohol on determinations of victim credibility, and trial strategies. In addition, this presentation will promote a victim-centered response that incorporates offender-focused strategies for an effective trauma-informed investigation and prosecution. Throughout the discussion, the presenters will discuss how strategies may be implicated and altered by social distancing measures currently in place in response to COVID-19.

Part II of the series discusses the identification, documentation, and effective use of evidence of intimidation at trial to hold offenders accountable. The presenter explores how to admit and present evidence to demonstrate the offender’s consciousness of guilt, to explain the absence of a witness, and to introduce an unavailable witness’s statements via the doctrine of forfeiture by wrongdoing.

Join us for a panel benefitting AEquitas' work to improve the quality of justice in sexual and gender-based violence prosecutions.

Join Lisa Kane Brown, Child Advocate and Attorney; Shari Botwin, LCSW, Trauma Therapist and author of Thriving After Trauma; and Kristen Gibbons Feden, Victims' Rights Advocate and Attorney representing sexual assault survivors as they discuss ways of supporting survivors and overcoming trauma. Moderated by Jennifer Gentile Long, CEO of AEquitas, this panel will include brief presentations followed by a question and answer period.

Part I of the series will discuss a coordinated system response to the challenges presented by witness intimidation. The presenter will explore methods for enhancing victim and witness safety, improving witnesses’ ability to participate in the justice system, and holding offenders accountable at all stages of the criminal justice process.

Social distancing and quarantine measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected all aspects of our society, including the judicial system. While these public health measures are necessary to keep our communities safe and healthy, court closures and subsequent delays in case processing, as well as other social distancing measures, will require criminal justice professionals to adapt in order to continue holding offenders accountable while protecting their rights; meeting victim/witness needs; and maintaining public safety.

This panel discussion, featuring Nancy O’Malley, District Attorney of Alameda County, CA; Ed McCann, First Assistant District Attorney of Montgomery County, PA; and Sherry Boston, District Attorney of DeKalb County, GA, as well as AEquitas Attorney Advisors, will provide practical perspectives to help guide prosecutors and other criminal justice system actors through the broad scope of issues raised by COVID-19; current responses from prosecutor’s offices around the country; and logistical and legal strategies for ensuring justice while social distancing measures remain in place. Topics will include (but aren’t limited to) implications on constitutional and statutory rights; challenges in processing, collecting, and testing crucial evidence; jail overcrowding and requests for bail; and the continuity of victim/witness services.

SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman and AEquitas Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Know More, Do More: Identifying and Responding to Stalking" on behalf of Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence in Wichita, Kansas.

SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman presented "Know More, Do More: Identifying and Responding to Stalking on College Campuses" on behalf of the Regents University of Colorado (RCU) in Boulder, Colorado to an audience of disability/deaf organization staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and university student affairs staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Creating a Comprehensive Victim-Centered Prosecution Strategy," "Establishing Successful Procedures: CODIS Hit Prioritization, No CODIS Hit, Maintaining Engagement" and "Consent Cases: Challenges and Overcoming Them" on behalf of RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, lab analysts, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Jury Selection," "Alcohol-Facilitated Sexual Assault" and "Measuring Success" on behalf of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP) in Santa Fe, New Mexico to an audience of attorney's/law students, child advocates, educators, prosecutors, sexual assault program staff, and tribal community groups.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Tender Years Testimony, Hearsay Exceptions, and Forfeiture by Wrongdoing" on behalf of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to an audience of child advocates and prosecutors.

AEquitas staff, along with Polaris, hosted this training in Galveston, Texas and presented on the dynamics of commercial front brothels, implementing a trauma-informed approach, language access, immigration relief for victims of crime, and media engagement to an audience of government agency staff, human trafficking program staff, law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Body Worn Cameras & Gender Based Violence" and "Safeguarding Victim Privacy in a Digital World" on behalf of the Kentucky on behalf of Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. (KASAP) in Lexington, Kentucky to attorney's/law students, child advocates, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, mental health professionals, prosecutors, university student affairs staff, and victim-witness specalists.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Predominant Aggressor" on behalf of the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) in Durham, North Carolina to an audience of domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Ethical Considerations in Human Trafficking Cases" on behalf of the Office of Homeland Security, Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to an audience of attorney's/law students, corrections personnel, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

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

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland, along with consultant Tom McDevitt, presented "Investigation and Prosecution of Campus Sexual Assault: Dispelling Myths," "Alcohol Facilitated Sexual Assault," and "Challenges Multiplied: Multiple Offenders" on behalf of The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience of attorneys/law students, educators, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and victim-witness specialists.

SPARC Associate Advisor Dana Fleitman presented "Stalking 2.0: The Use of Technology to Stalk" on behalf of the Virginia Community Criminal Justice Association in Leesburg, Virginia to an audience of corrections staff and court personnel. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Preparing to Try A Cold Case Sexual Assault" on behalf of RTI International in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and sexual assault forensic examiners.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "What's Immigration Got To Do With It? Strategies for Investigating and Prosecuting Cases Involving Immigrant Victims of Labor Trafficking" on behalf of the Catholic Charities of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky to an audience of attorneys/law students, community advocacy organization staff, faith based organization staff, law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Teresa Garvey presented "Evidence Based Prosecution" on behalf of the Child Protection Coalition in Tulsa, Oklahoma to an audience of attorneys/law students, child welfare/protection workers, mental health professionals and social service organization staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jonathan Kurland and Patricia Powers served as faculty facilitators on behalf of RTI International in Washington, D.C. and delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to, "Victim-Centered Case Resolution," "Cognitive Interviewing for Cold Case Prosecutions," and "Offender Focused Investigation and Prosecution" to an audience of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

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.

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.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented  "Stalking: Recognizing and Responding to Threats" in Greensboro, North Carolina for the NCBSI's 40 Hour Threat Management Course on Stalking Identification and Risk Assessment to an audience of law enforcement officers.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "#GUILTY: Identifying, Preserving, and Presenting Digital Evidence" on behalf of the Latino Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (LCADSV) in Indianapolis, Indiana to an audience including attorneys, law students, and community advocacy organization staff.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Use of Technology to Stalk" on behalf of East Central University in Orlando, Florida to an audience of campus judicial disciplinary board members, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Teresa Garvey and Jonathan Kurland presented on recanting witnesses, investigating and prosecuting stalking cases, high risk domestic violence cases involving sexual violence and expert testimony on behalf of the Metro Nashville Davidson County Office of Family Safety in Nashville, Tennessee for an audience of government agency staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Use of Technology to Stalk" in Lewiston, Idaho to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, health professionals and law enforcement officers.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to, "A Look at Labor Trafficking in the United States" and "Immigration Relief for Foreign National Victims of Labor Trafficking" in partner with Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute (UMCPI) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Lansing, Michigan. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Victim Engagement - Maintaining the Relationship," "Overcoming the Consent Defense" and "Cold Sexual Assault Case Review" on behalf of the RTI International in Dover, Delaware to an audience including law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and sexual assault forensic examiners. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to, "Beyond Conviction Rates: Measuring Success in Sexual Assault Prosecutions," "Prosecuting Cases Involving Victims with Developmental Disabilities," and "Overcoming The Consent Defense: Prosecuting Known Offenders" on behalf of the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landaus delivered a series of presentations including "Antisocial Media: When Facebook is Weaponized," "Know More, Do More: Enhanced Safety Planning for Victims of Stalking" and "Romantic Pursuit or Dangerous Conduct: Working with Teen and Young Adult Victims of Stalking" on behalf of the Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General (OKOAG) in Norma, Oklahoma.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to, "A Look at Labor Trafficking in the United States" and "Immigration Relief for Foreign National Victims of Labor Trafficking" in partner with Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute (UMCPI) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Mesa, Arizona. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jane Anderson and Patti Powers delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to, "Hot Verdict in a Cold Case: Informing the Jury’s Response to Evidence," "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting Known Offenders" and "Admissibility of Expert Testimony and Using Expert Witnesses" on behalf of the  Fourth Judicial Court of the Florida State Attorney's Office in Jacksonville, Florida. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Left Hand Meet Right Hand: Identifying Stalking within the Context of Domestic and Sexual Violence" and "Stalking 2.0: Stalking in the Digital Age" in Nashville, Tennessee to an audience of corrections personnel, sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented on behalf of the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project (NIWAP) in Denver, Colorado to an audience of attorneys, law students, sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, and prosecutors. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Identifying and Responding to Victims of Sexual Assault Who Experience Stalking" on behalf of the Califorina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in Anaheim, Califorina to an audience of  sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement, and prosecutors. 

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 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Working with Victims of Stalking in Protection Order" at on behalf of the National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff.

AEquitas Attorney Patti Powers presented "Alcohol Facilitated Sexual Assault: Who Needs Force When You Have Alcohol?" and "Getting to 'Guilty': Guiding the Jury's Response to the Evidence" on behalf of The Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence (GCWCFN) in Biloxi, Mississippi to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, prosecutors and victim-witness specialists. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis and Retired Sgt. Mark Kurkowski presented  series of presentations including, but not limited to, "Stalking Prevalence, Dynamics and Behaviors," "The Intersection of Stalking, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault" and "The Use of Technology to Stalk" on behalf of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) in Clearwater, Florida. 

The National Institute on the Prosecution of Elder Abuse (NIPEA) is a three-and-one-half-day course sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL), and AEquitas. The Institute is designed to challenge prosecutors to reevaluate their approach to prosecuting elder abuse cases. Participants received training on the dynamics of elder abuse as well as practical skills to successfully prosecute these cases. NIPEA explores the complex issues faced by prosecutors -- balancing offender accountability with the impact of criminal prosecution on victims. In addition to case evaluation and litigation skills, the curriculum examines the benefits of developing a coordinated, victim-centered community response; explains common injuries and relevant medical evidence, providing guidance on the use of medical experts; explores ethical issues confronted by prosecutors; addresses the development and improvement of culturally-specific victim services; and offers prosecutors the ability to redefine outcomes and the very nature of justice in elder abuse cases.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented on "Special Issues for Prosecutors Certifications and Discovery" and "Human Trafficking & T Visas" on behalf of the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project (NIWAP) in Morrow, Georgia to an audience including sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to an audience of law enforcement officers.

AEquitas met with a group of international visitors from Cabo Verde as part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program for their program "Fighting Sexual Gender Based Violence and Sexual Violence Against Children."

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson delivered a series of presentations, including but not limited to human trafficking, witness intimidation, and implementing a trauma informed approach Commonwealth Trading Partners in San Antonio, Texas for an audience of corrections personnel, court personnel, government agency staff, human trafficking program staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jonathan Kurland and Patti Powers presented  "Trauma Informed Interviewing," "Overcoming the Consent Defense" and "Reaching a Verdict" on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa to audiences in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Iowa City.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented  "Alcohol Facilitated Sexual Assault" and "Image Exploitation" in Newark, Delaware for an audience of corrections personnel, dual sexual/domestic violence program staff, and law enforcement officers. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis, along with co-presenter Mark Kurkowski, delivered a series of presentations on stalking, domestic violence,  safety planning, and sexual assault on behalf of the New Hampshire Department of Justice (NHDOJ) in both Lincoln and Boone, New Hampshire.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland, along with consultant Tom McDevitt delivered a series of presentations, included "Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Violence," "Introducing Expert Testimony in Sexual Assault Cases," "Safeguarding Victim Privacy: Ethical Considerations and a Plan of Action for Prosecutors and Victim Attorneys," and "#GUILTY: Identifying, Preserving, and Admitting Digital Evidence" in Wichita, Kansas.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Teresa Garvey, Jonathan Kurland, and John Wilkinson presented "Explaining Victim Behavior," "Admissibility of Expert Testimony," and "Using Expert Witnesses" on behalf of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff and prosecutors. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Use of Social Media in Gender Based Violence" with Rebecca Dreke and "Know More, Do More: Addressing Stalking on College Campuses" in Fort Worth, Texas for an audience of campus judiciary board members, community advocacy organization staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and university student affairs staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson and consultant Kim Nash presented "Medical Evidence and Experts," "Educating Judges and Juries," "Expert Testimony" and "Prosecuting Cold Case" on behalf of the New Mexico Coalition of Programs in Albuquerque, New Mexico to an audience including but not limited to, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, health professionals, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Teresa Garvey presented "The Absent Witness: Avoiding and Overcoming Confrontation Challenges," "Making is Stick: Protecting the Record on Appeal" and "Civil, Meet Criminal: Coordinating with the Prosecution" in Boise, Idaho to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Stalking, Technology, and Evidentiary Standards" in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience of attorneys and law students. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented on topics including, but not limited to, ageism, aging and capacity, perpetrator justifications and excuses, barriers to safety, and dismissing protection orders on behalf of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) in Tumon Bay, Guam.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Stalking 2.0: When the Digital Age Intersects with Family Court Cases" in  Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to an audience of supervised visitation and exchange center staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Douglas County, Colorado to an audience of law enforcement officers. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Trial Prep and Courtroom Strategy"  on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Justice in Madison, Wisconsin to an audience including dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and sexual assault forensic examiners. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "#GUILTY: Identifying, Preserving, and Presenting Digital Evidence" on behalf of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) in Orlando, Florida to audience of attorney's and law students. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Prosecuting Cases Involving Victims with Development Disabilities: A Focus on Sexual Assault" on behalf of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience including law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and victim witness specialists. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented on behalf of The American Bar Association (ABA) in Durham, North Carolina to an audience of attorneys, court personnel, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law students, and more.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jonathan Kurland and Patti Powers presented on the consent defense, using expert testimony in sexual assault cases, informing the jury's response to evidence, safeguarding victim privacy, and ethical considerations for prosecutors on behalf of the Tenth Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office in Jefferson County, Alabama.

 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Aurland presented a web-based training on voir dire and jury bias to the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office of Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Witness Intimidation" and "Predominant Aggressor, Evaluating Lethality, Trauma-Informed Approach, and Evidence-Based Prosecution of Domestic Violence" in Winnebago, Illinois to an audience of court personnel. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Alcohol-Facilitated Sexual Assault- Confronting the Reality of Sexual Assault on College Campuses" and "#GUILTY: Identifying, Preserving, and Admitting Digital Evidence", as well as a question and answer session on "Investigating and Prosecuting Image Exploitation" on behalf of the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Info & Services in Roanoke, West Virginia.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Pensacola, Florida to an audience including dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and more.

The Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas, Texas is a three and one-half day training designed to provide the most effective, relevant, and up-to-date training available for allied justice system professionals responding to crimes of, intimate partner violence, stalking, and human trafficking.

 

AEquitas has been an official training partner since 2011, and Attorney Advisors Jane Anderson and John Wilkinson presented workshops at the 13th Annual Conference to scores of allied professionals (advocates, law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors), which address and explore the complex issues faced by prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Alcohol-Facilitated Sexual Assault- Confronting the Reality of Sexual Assault on College Campuses" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff. 

AEquitas CEO Jennifer Long conducted an Expert Panel on Victim Behavior at Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for an audience of attorneys/law students and educators.

Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Strengthening our Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence Through Collaboration," "Overcoming the Consent Defense," and "Drug and Alcohol Facilitated Sexual Assault" in Wayne, Nebraska to an audience including dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and university student affairs staff. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Hot Verdict in a Cold Case: Key Considerations in Informing the Jury's Response to Evidence" in Crystal City, Virginia to an audience of attorneys/law students, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and sexual assault program staff.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Know More, Do More: Addressing Stalking on College Campuses" on behalf of Southern Connecticut State University (as a part of East Central University's, STAABLE Campus Programs) in New Haven, Connecticut to an audience of campus judicial disciplinary board members, law enforcement officers, and university student affairs staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Anoka County, Minnesota to an audience of law enforcement officers.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Stalking and the Use of Tech To Stalk" in Ewig, New Jersey for an audience of campus judiciary board members, community advocacy organization staff, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and university student affairs staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Intersections: Human Trafficking and Reproductive Rights" on behalf of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in Oakland, California to an audience of educators and health professionals. 

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Prevention and Dynamics of Stalking; Use of Technology" and "Risk Assessment and Safety Planning" on behalf of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) in Indianapolis, Indiana for an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Hillsboro, Oregon to an audience of law enforcement officers.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Trauma-Informed Interviewing" on behalf of Your Safe Haven in Bedford, Pennsylvania to an audience including child welfare workers, community advocacy organization staff, mental health professionals, and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "The Heat is On: Preparing to Try the Cold Case" and "Mock Trial Preparation" on behalf of RTI International in Bozeman, Montana to an audience of attorney's/law students, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, law enforcement officers, personal care attendants, and sexual assault forensic examiners. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting the Non-Stranger Rapist" at George Washington University for an audience of attorneys and law students.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Tourism and the Link to Human Trafficking" on behalf of the International Association for Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Savanah, Georgia to law enforcement and community members.

SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis presented "Use of Technology to Stalk" in Hampton, Virginia to an audience including court personnel, domestic violence program staff, sexual assault program staff and victim-witness specialists. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Investigation and Prosecution of Human Trafficking" on behalf of Commonwealth Trading Partners, Inc. in Annville, Pennsylvania to an audience of law enforcement officers. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson and SPARC Director Jennifer Landhuis delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Tallahassee, Florida to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff and law enforcement officers.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Drug-Facilitated Crime in the 21st Century: Toxicology and Human Trafficking" on behalf of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Boca Raton, Florida to an audience of 45 toxicologists.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson delivered a series of presentations on domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in Phoenix, Arizona.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers and toxicology expert Tom Bosy presented "Alcohol Facilitated Sexual Assault," "First Do No Harm: Trauma-Informed Interviewing," "Safeguarding Victim Privacy, and "Campus Sexual Assault" on behalf of the Cobb County District Attorney's Office in Marietta, Georgia for an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jane Anderson and John Wilkinson presented on identifying common features of illicit massage businesses (IMB), criminal activity within IMBs, collaborating with allied professionals, implementing a trauma-formed approach, and immigrant relief for victims of crime on behalf of Polaris in San Luis Obispo, California to an audience of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Prosecutors' Use of Expert Testimony to Explain Victim Behavior in Sexual Assault Cases" on behalf of RTI International in Charleston, West Virginia to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff and prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Investigation and Prosecution of Human Trafficking" on behalf of Commonwealth Trading Partners, Inc. at Niagara University in Niagara, New York to an audience of law enforcement officers.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting the Non-Stranger Rapist" and "It’s About Context, Not Character: Admitting Evidence Under R. 404(b)" on behalf of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience of community advocacy organization staff, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, prosecutors, and victim-witness specialists. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Teresa Garvey and John Wilkinson presented "Trauma-Informed Interviewing," "Introducing Expert Testimony to Explain Victim Behavior in Intimate Partner Violence Cases," "Going Forward Without the Victim" and "Working with Recanting Victims" on behalf of the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office in St. Paul, Minnesota to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors. 

 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Patti Powers and John Wilkinson presented on trauma-informed interviewing, preparing to try a cold case, forensic evidence and cold case sexual assault, overcoming the consent defense, and prosecuting known offenders on behalf of RTI International in Rocky Hill, Connecticut for an audience of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented "Intimidation of Victims of Sexual Assault in Confinement" and "Criminal Meets Civil: Coordinating Our Responses" on behalf of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) in Lexington, Kentucky for an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and victim-witness specialists.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson and Senior Associate Attorney Advisor Charlie Whitman-Barr gave an overview of the US criminal justice system on issues related to forced marriage and gender-based violence on behalf of World Learning and Washington D.C. to a group of allied professionals from Bangladesh. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland and Retired Detective Tom McDevitt presented on prosecuting campus rape, alcohol facilitated sexual assault, multiple defendant rape, the role of the prosecutor as a catalyst for change, the neurobiology of trauma, and measuring success in sexual assault cases on behalf of the Kentucky Attorney General's Office, Office of Victims Advocacy in Frankfort, Kentucky.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Disarming the Batterer: Intimate Partner Violence & Firearms" and "Technical Evidence in Stalking Prosecutions: Where to Get It and How to Get It In" on behalf of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition in Provo, Utah for an audience of attorneys/law students, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Providing Context: Introducing Expert Testimony in Domestic Violence Cases," "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting Known Offenders," and "It’s About Context, Not Character: Admitting Evidence Under R. 404(b)" on behalf of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services in Killington, Vermont to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Prosecution of Cold Cases of Sexual Assault" and "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting the Non-Stranger Rapist" on behalf of RTI International in Des Moines, Iowa to an audience of prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jane Anderson, Jon Kurland, Patti Powers, and John Wilkinson presented "Overcoming the Consent Defense," "Trauma-Informed Interviewing," "Introducing Expert Testimony," "Pretrial Motions Practice," "Voir Dire," "Cross-Examination," "Medical Evidence and Experts," "Alcohol-Facilitated Sexual Assault," and "Ethical Considerations" on behalf of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Ethical Considerations in Human Trafficking Cases" on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Police, Office of Homeland Security at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Jane Anderson and John Wilkinson presented  "Safer Victims, Stronger Cases: Benefits of Trauma-Informed Prosecution," "Disarming the Batterer: Intimate Partner Violence & Firearms," and "#Guilty: Identifying, Preserving, and Presenting Digital Evidence" on behalf of the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office in Bartlett, New Hampshire.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Going Forward Without the Victim: Evidence-Based Prosecution of Domestic Violence" and "Integrating a Trauma-Informed Response" on behalf of the City of Manchester in Manchester, New Hampshire to an audience of prosecutors, law enforcement, systems-based advocates, and community-based advocates.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson, with Scott Van Schyndel of the Fox Valley Metro Police Department presented "Body-Worn Cameras: Policy and Practice Considerations for Strengthening Response to Victims" on behalf of the International Association for Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson presented "Overview of Criminal Justice System and Gender-Based Violence" on behalf of the American Bar Association, Rule of Law Initiative in Washington D.C.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented on sexual assault reform on behalf of RTI International and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) in Topeka, Kansas. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Overcoming the Consent Defense: Prosecuting the Non-Stranger Rapist" on behalf of RTI International in Richmond, Virginia to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, government agency staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and victim-witness specialists.  

AEquitas Attorney Advisor John Wilkinson hosted a panel discussion on preventing forced marriage on behalf of the Tahirih Justice Center in Washington, D.C. for an audience of community advocacy organization staff, dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff and prosecutors. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisors Vikki Kristiansson and Jonathan Kurland presented "Higher Education: Confronting the Reality of Sexual Assault," "Strangulation Injury," and "Improving the Justice System Response to Witness Intimidation" on behalf of Safe Berks in Reading, Pennsylvania.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented on human trafficking, child pornography, pretrial litigation, and witness intimidation along with Tabitha Gallerani (formerly of The Safe Center, Long Island) and Sgt. Grant Snyder (Minneapolis Police Department) on behalf of The Safe Center to an audience of government agency staff, human trafficking program staff, law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

AEquitas CEO Jennifer Long held a panel discussion on the intersection of domestic violence and human trafficking on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office Against Women.

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jonathan Kurland presented  "Strangulation Injury" and "Going Forward Without the Victim: Evidence-Based Prosecution of Domestic Violence" on behalf of Transitions of Pennsylvania in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to an audience of dual sexual assault/domestic violence program staff, law enforcement officers, and victim-witness specialists. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Jane Anderson presented "Supporting Victims and Improving Prosecutions for Undocumented Victims and/or Victims with U Visas" on behalf of the Family Justice Cetner and the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project (NIWAP) in Montgomery County, Maryland to an audience of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and victim-witness specialists. 

AEquitas Attorney Advisor Patti Powers presented "Prosecution of Cold Cases of Sexual Assault" and "Using Voir Dire to Eliminate Jury Bias" on behalf of RTI International in Portland, Oregon.