Providing Context: Using Experts in Human Trafficking Cases

Audience

PA-based prosecutors.

Summary

The reality of human trafficking is often in conflict with public perceptions and media representations. This can negatively affect how investigations are conducted, cases are charged, and evidence analyzed by judges and juries. Experts with specialized trafficking knowledge are invaluable assets in any human trafficking case because they can provide context about the modes, means, and methods of trafficking as well as common victim responses to trauma. By providing this context, qualified trafficking experts can assist prosecutors in ensuring that fact finders make informed decisions based on the evidence... 

Presenter

Jane Anderson

Jane Anderson joined AEquitas in October, 2014, after having served as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami Dade County. As an Attorney Advisor with AEquitas, Jane has leveraged her experience prosecuting domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking crimes to provide technical assistance and trainings to prosecutors and allied professionals. Specifically, Jane has developed and delivered numerous trainings on the identification, investigation, and prosecution of labor and sex trafficking.

While a prosecutor, Jane tried many of the Florida’s first human trafficking cases, including related sexual assault, child abuse, and money laundering crimes. As a founding member of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit and Task Force, Jane developed key partnerships and infrastructure that improved victim identification and safety, while ensuring that offenders were held accountable...