Webinar Archive:  Expert Witness Series

Webinar date:  July 7, 2014

 

Description

Expert witnesses and the attorneys they work with sometimes have conflicting assumptions and expectations about the preparation and presentation of a court case.  In this webinar, Kirsten Faisal, a long-time advocate with extensive experience as an expert witness, teams up with Tim Gruenke, a veteran prosecutor, to discuss strategies for working together effectively in cases involving survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.  The presenters discuss what experts and attorneys need from one another during the trial preparation process, and talk about some of the "real world" challenges that can hinder effective trial preparation and presentation.

​

About the Presenters

Kirsten Faisal has been the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence since 1995, where she works on developing public policy, and provides professional support to agencies that impact battered women and their children.  She is on the steering committee for the Batterer's Education Program for the Iowa Department of Corrections; has trained for the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and the Department of Human Services; served as chair for the Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team and has provided expert witness testimony in civil and criminal domestic abuse cases.  She graduated with honors from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and spent eleven years doing crisis intervention work with survivors of abuse.

​

Tim Gruenke is the District Attorney for La Crosse County, Wisconsin.  He has been a prosecutor for nineteen years.  He has prosecuted all types of cases, including homicides, but has specialized in sexual assaults and other sensitive crimes.  He has trained a wide variety of professionals including law enforcement officers, SANE nurses, sexual assault and domestic violence advocates, as well as other prosecutors, on the prosecution and investigation of sexual assault and crimes of domestic violence.  He was recognized as District Attorney of the Year by Wisconsin prosecutors in 2013, and earned the Voices of Courage Award from the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault in 2008.

​

Suggested Participants

While this webinar is focused on advocate experts from community-based domestic violence and sexual assault programs, others currently providing expert testimony - or who are considering providing expert testimony - may also benefit from the webinar.  This may include social workers, academics, and other professionals who might provide general testimony about battering and its effects.  Additionally, we encourage prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other attorneys who represent victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to participate.

​

Click here to access recording.  A copy of the PowerPoint (and any other documents from the webinar) is available by clicking here.