Witness Testimony in Sexual Cases

Witness Testimony in Sexual Cases PDF

Author: Pamela Radcliffe

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780199672936

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Witness testimony in sexual cases is a complex and controversial topic and this practical guide provides comprehensive and balanced advice for criminal justice professionals at all stages of involvement in the legal process. It draws together essential legal and scientific information for all professionals working in this field.

Harassment, stalking, victim personal statements, child sexual abuse and eyewitness testimony. Psychological commentary applied to real magistrate and Crown Court cases

Harassment, stalking, victim personal statements, child sexual abuse and eyewitness testimony. Psychological commentary applied to real magistrate and Crown Court cases PDF

Author: Alexander Syder

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2017-02-02

Total Pages: 15

ISBN-13: 3668390886

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Project Report from the year 2016 in the subject Psychology - Forensic Psychology, Penal System, grade: Pass, University of Lincoln (University of Lincoln), course: MSc Forensic Psychology, language: English, abstract: Real court cases were used for this report, however no names and official dates are disclosed. The court cases in these examples deal with allegations of stalking and harassment as well as child sexual abuse and involve elements pertaining to Victim Personal Statments and eyewitness testimony. The first court case examined deals with a case of harassment and stalking and the treatment of Victim Personal Statements as well as police interviewing. An overview is given over the current state of psychological research on both aspects of the case; the offences of harassment and stalking, particularly in heterosexual couple relationships, and on the handling of Victim Personal Statements by police. The second court case involves allegations of child sexual abuse, with a great lapse in years between perpetration and prosecution. The case summary is followed by a psychological commentary including research findings on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and the potential impact of child sexual abuse on the victims of abuse.

Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic, and Elder Abuse Cases

Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic, and Elder Abuse Cases PDF

Author: John E. B. Myers

Publisher: Wolters Kluwer

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 1154

ISBN-13: 0735556687

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Investigating and litigating cases of interpersonal violence is difficult. With child and elder abuse, the vulnerability of the victim makes the work emotionally as well as legally taxing. With domestic violence, the tendency of some victims to

Child Victims, Child Witnesses

Child Victims, Child Witnesses PDF

Author: Gail S. Goodman

Publisher: Guilford Publications

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 9780898627893

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This volume presents a collection of chapters by top researchers reporting the new child witness research being conducted today. In these chapters, the authors confront the major societal issues and questions that arise when children must give testimony: Do children have the cognitive capacity to recall accurately and report past events? How can knowledge of children's memory be applied to understanding children's testimony in forensic situations? Do socio-emotional or motivational factors influence the accuracy of children's reports? Are children likely to conceal or fabricate information about past events? Are there special interview techniques that might enhance the likelihood of obtaining accurate information from child witnesses? Can jurors accurately evaluate the testimony of child witnesses? Are jurors biased in ways that might preclude the fair adjudication of trials involving child witnesses? What is the emotional impact on child witnesses of involvement in legal proceedings? This book will be an invaluable reference to anyone concerned with children's testimony legal, mental health, social service, and medical professionals, students of psychology, social policy, or law, as well as practitioners and researchers.

Victim Credibility in Adult Sexual Assault Cases

Victim Credibility in Adult Sexual Assault Cases PDF

Author: Denise Lievore

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 6

ISBN-13: 9780642538604

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The exercise of prosecutorial discretion is one of the most important but least understood aspects of the administration of criminal justice. This paper provides an insight into the case by case considerations that inform prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases, through a thematic analysis of interviews with 24 Crown prosecutors in five Australian jurisdictions. The interviews highlight the factors that prosecutors take into account when assessing victim credibility and deciding whether to prosecute. The paper also discusses prosecutors' views on jurors' attitudes to and defence lawyers' use of moral and gender stereotypes, and the problem of victim intoxication or substance use.

Preparing and Presenting Expert Testimony in Child Abuse Litigation

Preparing and Presenting Expert Testimony in Child Abuse Litigation PDF

Author: Paul Stern

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 1997-01-16

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 1452248362

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I found the book extremely interesting and informative. I was particularly impressed with the practical advice given in the text, advice that is not often found in the legal literature. . . . The writing is clear and compelling, and Paul Stern′s style is perfect: he entertains as he educates. --Thomas D. Lyon, The Law School, University of Southern California, Los Angeles Called upon to educate courtroom decision makers, the expert witness provides testimony that is critical to achieving intelligent and just verdicts. Few judges and jury members possess the knowledge base needed to adequately understand complexities of human behavior as they relate to acts of interpersonal violence. While the lay witness can testify to actual incidents or observations, it is the "expert witness" who can provide forensic significance to such evidence. With this vital insight, courts can more accurately assess and weigh evidence, leading to more informed and appropriate decisions. Timely and accessible, The Preparation and Presentation of Expert Testimony clearly defines the need for and role of expert witnesses in litigation. Author Paul Stern demystifies the process while providing practical, stepwise guidance for those who want to prepare and present expert testimony with confidence and clarity. Beginning with discussions of the who, what, and why of expert testimony, the book also defines the role of the expert, including ethical and professional issues that may arise. Filled with tips, techniques, and case examples, chapters also show expert witnesses and attorneys how to prepare for court, how to present testimony in the most convincing and credible manner possible, how to deal with cross-examination, and how to cross-examine irresponsible expert witnesses. Anyone who may be called upon to testify--or participate in court in any way--in cases of interpersonal violence will find this book an invaluable resource. In particular, mental health professionals, medical personnel, scientists, investigators, attorneys, and judges will want to use the book to prepare themselves for the rigors involved in every aspect of expert testimony.

Child Victims and Witnesses

Child Victims and Witnesses PDF

Author: Jane Crisp

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 1995-11

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 9780788124372

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Presents the findings of a project that was designed to assess current practices used in the handling of criminal court cases involving children as victims/witnesses. The project utilized case file reviews and interviews of participants in recently adjudicated cases to describe current approaches to children in the criminal justice system. The 3 states are: Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Extensive bibliography. Tables.

Tainted Witness

Tainted Witness PDF

Author: Leigh Gilmore

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2017-01-17

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 0231543441

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In 1991, Anita Hill's testimony during Clarence Thomas's Senate confirmation hearing brought the problem of sexual harassment to a public audience. Although widely believed by women, Hill was defamed by conservatives and Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court. The tainting of Hill and her testimony is part of a larger social history in which women find themselves caught up in a system that refuses to believe what they say. Hill's experience shows how a tainted witness is not who someone is, but what someone can become. Why are women so often considered unreliable witnesses to their own experiences? How are women discredited in legal courts and in courts of public opinion? Why is women's testimony so often mired in controversies fueled by histories of slavery and colonialism? How do new feminist witnesses enter testimonial networks and disrupt doubt? Tainted Witness examines how gender, race, and doubt stick to women witnesses as their testimony circulates in search of an adequate witness. Judgment falls unequally upon women who bear witness, as well-known conflicts about testimonial authority in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries reveal. Women's testimonial accounts demonstrate both the symbolic potency of women's bodies and speech in the public sphere and the relative lack of institutional security and control to which they can lay claim. Each testimonial act follows in the wake of a long and invidious association of race and gender with lying that can be found to this day within legal courts and everyday practices of judgment, defining these locations as willfully unknowing and hostile to complex accounts of harm. Bringing together feminist, literary, and legal frameworks, Leigh Gilmore provides provocative readings of what happens when women's testimony is discredited. She demonstrates how testimony crosses jurisdictions, publics, and the unsteady line between truth and fiction in search of justice.

Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons

Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons PDF

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Publisher: United Nations Publications

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789211337891

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In the light of the urgent need for cooperative and collaborative action against trafficking, this publication presents examples of promising practice from around the world relating to trafficking interventions. It is hoped that the guidance offered, the practices showcased and the resources recommended in this Toolkit will inspire and assist policymakers, law enforcers, judges, prosecutors, victim service providers and members of civil society in playing their role in the global effort against trafficking in persons. The present edition is an updated and expanded version of the Toolkit published in 2006.