Witness intimidation and manipulati on factor into almost every domestic violence prosecution. Abusers engage in these tactics because they often work. When witness intimidation is suc cessful\, victims decline to participate in the prosecution\, they minimiz e the abuse on the witness stand\, or they testify on behalf of the abuser .
\nBut 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\, vi ctim education\, and other strategies can reduce the opportunities for int imidation\, thereby increasing the likelihood that victims will feel safe testifying in court. And prosecution strategies\, from charging intimidati on-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 will include a brief review of confrontation law under < em>Crawford and its progeny and focus on forfeiture by wrongdoing as a solution in the case of witnesses who are unavailable for trial due to t he offender’s wrongful conduct.
\nAt the conclusion of this training\, participants will be better able to:
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