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SAKI Resources:
Law Enforcement & Prosecutors

 

Welcome to the WV Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) page for Law Enforcement and Prosecutors. This page contains a collection of WV SAKI forms and materials; tips for interviewing victims; investigating and prosecuting cold cases; guides for developing victim notification protocols; and a selection of SAKI webinars for additional strategies and information.

 

Forms and Information

 

 

Victim Interviewing Tips

 

 

Victim Notification Information

 

 

Investigation Tips

 

 

Prosecution Tips

 

 

Victim Notification Information

 

 

Webinars and Resources

The SAKI Training and Technical Assistance website offers a variety of webinars to provide guidance and training on topics including: completing kit inventories, testing, tracking kits, victim interviewing and investigation tips, prosecution, victim notification, trauma, and more. Each webinar has a registration link.  You will need to complete the registration and log-in to view both current and archived webinars.

 

For a complete listing of all SAKI webinars, you may visit the SAKI TTA Webinar page here:
SAKI Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Webinar Listing

 

For your convenience, direct links to several webinars are provided below.

 

 

Evidence Tracking Webinar - SAKI
Representatives from Michigan State Police and the City of Portland (OR) Police Bureau, both of which are SAKI grantee recipients, presented an overview of their unsubmitted SAK evidence-tracking systems. The presentations discussed the evidence tracking systems, why each system was chosen, challenges for implementation, and successes. Each agency gave a short presentation highlighting the features of their evidence tracking systems and leveraged their experience to discuss lessons learned. A panel discussion and Q & A session followed the presentations.

 

Investigation of Cold Sexual Assault Cases Webinar - SAKI
Sgt. James Markey, M.Ed. utilized his 30 years of experience with the Phoenix PD investigating sexual assaults and cold case sex crimes to holistically address the investigation and analysis of cold case sexual assaults. This webinar addresses the current strategies and key considerations for the investigation of cold sexual assault cases resulting from testing previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). It also provides the tools and steps to identify the resources necessary to address untested evidence in sexual assault cases, as well as present considerations in developing an appropriate victim notification process.

 

Kit Inventory Process Webinar - SAKI
The webinar was presented by representatives from the Iowa Department of Justice, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, and City of Portland (OR) Police Bureau. Each agency gave a short presentation describing their inventory process, lessons learned, and challenges to successfully completing their unsubmitted SAK inventory. A panel discussion and Q & A session followed the presentations.

 

Preparing and Conducting Direct Examination Webinar Series
This four-part webinar series is designed to prepare prosecutors for the direct examination of victims and witnesses in cold case sexual assault prosecutions.

 

Part I: Preparing and Conducting Direct Examination of the Victim - SAKI
Patricia D. Powers, of AEquitas, discussed the importance of working closely with systems- and community-based advocates as they prepare victims for trial; suggested practical strategies to: enhance victim credibility, explain individual responses to trauma through victim testimony, and draw clear links between witness testimony, prior statements, and corroborating evidence.

Participants learned ways to coordinate with advocates to keep victims informed, supported, and engaged; to prepare the victim for direct and cross-examination at trial; to guide the victim through a trauma-informed direct examination that maintains focus on the offender; and to provide a powerful link between evidence of the victim’s experience and the jury.

 

Part II: Preparing and Conducting Direct Examination of the Detective - SAKI
Jane Anderson, an attorney with AEquitas, discussed the importance of working closely with law enforcement during all stages of investigation and prosecution; suggested practical strategies to: enhance the credibility of the investigation, explain delays, and draw clear links between witness testimony, prior statements, and corroborating evidence. Participants learned ways to: work with detectives to prepare for direct and cross examination at trial; elicit testimony from detectives that provides insight into the impact of trauma on victims; and to provide the jury with a clear sense of how a cold case sexual assault is reinvestigated through a trauma-informed approach.

 

Part III: Preparing and Conducting Direct Examination of a Forensic Scientist- SAKI
John Wilkinson, of AEquitas: The Prosecutor's Resource on Violence Against Women, presents on the importance of working closely with forensic scientists throughout the prosecution. This webinar will provide strategies for questioning forensic scientists on collection, preservation, maintaining evidentiary integrity, and the analysis and statistical significance of DNA evidence. Participants will learn how to conduct direct examination of a forensic scientist so jurors can understand DNA testing and the importance of the evidence; to elicit testimony that clearly explains the presence or reasons for the absence of DNA evidence; to identify the significance of forensic evidence in establishing identity or in supporting the victim’s disclosure; to rebut claims of pre-accusatorial delay with testimony on scientific limitations affecting testing of previously submitted evidence; and to cross-examine potential defense expert witnesses about the forensic evidence.

 

Part IV: Preparing and Conducting Direct Examination of a SANE- SAKI
Patricia D. Powers, of AEquitas: The Prosecutor's Resource on Violence Against Women, will present this webinar designed to provide an overview of the legal parameters and goals of a SANE’s testimony in a cold case sexual assault trial, and offer strategies for effective direct examination of a SANE at trial, including how to develop a foundation of expertise that is also persuasive for the jury. Participants will learn ways to elicit accurate and effective direct examination testimony related to a SANE’s patient care from a cold case of sexual assault; to educate the court and jury about the SANE’s medical examination and collection of evidence, emphasizing the SANE’s role in preserving the integrity of the evidence and the chain of custody; to explain medical findings in the context of the patient’s history of the assault and the SANE’s examination; and to present evidence of trauma to the jury from an earlier period of time.

 

Strategies for Victim Notification Webinar - SAKI
RAINN & the Joyful Heart Foundation teamed up for this SAKI TTA webinar. In “Strategies for Victim Notification”, 2 policy experts explored the best practices for victim-centered, trauma-informed notification policies & procedures. Strategies for Victim Notification focused on why victim-centered, trauma-informed notification policies and procedures are integral to the overall success of addressing previously unsubmitted SAKs. In communities addressing previously unsubmitted SAKs, the process of creating a victim notification policy with their SART/MDT is an important beginning step. The goals of this webinar are to help sites critically think about their victim notification policy and provide information on promising practices to incorporate into their policies that are victim-centered and trauma-informed.

 

Successful Prosecution of Cold Cases Webinar - SAKI
The webinar was presented by Ms. Patti Powers, JD from AEquitas, a valued SAKI TTA partner. This presentation focused on the unique challenges to investigating and trying cold case sexual assaults involving offenders known and unknown to the victim, providing strategies to overcome those challenges, and best practices in sexual assault prosecutions. Also discussed were promising practices in response to the time-intensified issues in older cases, such as renewed investigations of dormant cases, victim notification, identification of evidence, pretrial proceedings, and trial strategy.

 

The Neurobiology of Trauma/Sexual Assault Webinar by Dr. Campbell - SAKI
Dr. Rebecca Campbell, professor of psychology at Michigan State University and member of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance team, presents an overview of the neurobiology of trauma as related to sexual assault. This presentation provides insight into how the body and brain respond to trauma and derives implications for improved investigation of sexual assault by focusing on sexual assault victims’ emotions and behaviors, memory formation and recall, and implications for investigation of sexual assault.

 

The Prosecutor's Role in Survivor Notification - SAKI
Ilse Knecht, the Director of Policy and Advocacy for Joyful Heart Foundation, and Patricia D. Powers JD, an Attorney Advisor with AEquitas present on the prosecutor’s role in keeping survivors informed and engaged in the criminal justice process. This presentation built upon the previous SAKI TTA webinar, Victim Notification Strategies. The speakers focused on approaches to notification that address the survivor’s need for information, all while maintaining the integrity of the case for prosecution. Participants will learn ways to better prioritize survivor’s safety and privacy throughout the investigation and prosecution of a case, evaluate situations in which a survivor’s right to information must be balanced with maintaining the integrity of the case, and coordinate with allied professionals on decisions concerning notification and disclosure of information.

 

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance (SAKI TTA) team provides a range of training and technical assistance to SAKI sites regarding inventorying and tracking sexual assault kits (SAKs), investigating and prosecuting cases, and engaging victim advocates. As a new resource for both 2015 and 2016 SAKI sites, the SAKI TTA team developed a Welcome Packet to provide an overview of SAKI TTA and other program materials. SAKI provides Resource Briefs on CODIS, DNA, unsubmitted kits, and testing; and resource sections for law enforcement, SANE-SART, victim notification/advocacy, prosecutors, neurobiology of sexual assault, case studies, sexual assault kits and DNA evidence.

 

For more helpful resources for your program:
SAKI Project Resources, Strategies, and Guidelines