Body-Worn Cameras and Crimes of Sexual Violence:
Practical Considerations from the Prosecution Perspective
Wednesday, June 21st, 2017
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Free Webinar
Audience
Allied Justice System Professionals including, but not limited to, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, community-based service providers, medical and mental health practitioners, probation and parole officers, and judges are encouraged to register for this webinar.
Summary
Over the past decade, law enforcement’s use of body-worn cameras (BWC) has significantly increased and public awareness of, and demand for, use of cameras has risen. While BWCs can provide helpful evidence in cases involving sexual violence, their use may also adversely impact victim safety and privacy. Standard procedures in many departments call for the activation of BWCs during any responsive citizen-police encounter, but there are often no special provisions related to victims of sexually violent crimes. Going forward, agencies should develop victim-centered policies or protocols that address the impact of BWCs on victims during response to these crimes.
This webinar will discuss many of the issues Pennsylvania-based law enforcement, prosecutors, forensic examiners, and other allied professionals must consider when BWCs are used in sexual assault investigations. The presenter will describe the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration – at the local, state, and federal levels – in order to develop effective BWC policies that address victim safety, privacy, and autonomy. The presenter will address issues such as deactivation of a BWC at appropriate points during the investigation, privacy and safety considerations, discovery, redaction, protective orders limiting dissemination, and requests under freedom of information or open records statutes.
Presenter
John F. Wilkinson (JD) is an Attorney Advisor with AEquitas: The Prosecutors' Resource on Violence Against Women. As an Attorney Advisor, he presents on trial strategy, legal analysis and policy, and ethical issues related to violence against women at the local, state, national and international level. He conducts research; develops training materials, resources, and publications; and provides case consultation and technical assistance for prosecutors and allied professionals. John has presented extensively on the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking both in the United States and abroad. From 1998 through 2005, John served as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Fredericksburg, VA prosecuting cases involving intimate partner violence and sexual assault, including cases of campus sexual assaults and domestic violence homicide. He also served on the Fredericksburg Area Sexual Assault Response Team and assisted in the development of the Mary Washington Hospital Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program.
Questions?
For questions about this training, please contact Karen Galbraith, Training Projects Coordinator, at kgalbraith@pcar.org or 717-728-9740 x 138.
For questions about registration, please contact Erin Levine, Database and Training Assistant at elevine@pcar.org or 717-728-9740 x 106.
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