Surviving the Stand: How to Testify in a Child Sexual Abuse Case
Course Description
How do you escape traps on cross-examination? How can you avoid them? Can you recover from mistakes in testimony? This workshop will equip MDT members, especially CPS workers and forensic interviewers, with practical tools and tactical insight to succeed in the stressful environment of courtroom testimony. The presentation includes multimedia components and integration of hypotheticals to illustrate principles, and will include practical, concrete tips for testifying and interacting with judges, juries, and defense attorneys. Specific strategies for case preparation, recovering from mistakes on the stand, and surviving cross-examination will be discussed and illustrated.
Learning Objectives
1. Summarize effective methods of case preparation.
2. Identify and counter defense cross-examination tactics.
3. Articulate appropriate responses to witness mistakes during courtroom testimony.
Instructors
Robert Peters
