Forwarded by the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, on behalf of the National Advocacy Center; please contact Leslie Hagen at leslie.hagen3@usdoj.gov with questions or for more information.

Please see the announcement for upcoming training at the National Advocacy Center. This training is essentially free as travel, lodging and meals are provided at the per diem rate. The attached PDF form includes a registration form. Please forward this information to prosecutors and SANEs in your area. Thank you.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' Expert Witness Training (32520), August 5-7, 2014, Columbia, South Carolina
Point of Contact: Leslie A. Hagen, Leslie.Hagen3@usdoj.gov
Course Description: The United States Department of Justice's National Indian Country Training Initiative, in partnership with the International Association of Forensic Nurses, is pleased to announce the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' Expert Witness Training. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are specialists in one of the most well-known fields within the field of forensic nursing. Many prosecutors are comfortable using forensic nurses to testify to the facts of a case. However, forensic nurses are often overlooked as accessible expert witnesses. Prosecutors can use forensic nursing expert testimony to educate the jury on the characteristics of battered individuals (to include minimizing and recanting, mechanisms of injury and wounds) and to inform the jury why there may be an absence of injury. Forensic nurses can also assist prosecutors by reviewing medical records prior to trial and identifying relevant portions of the documentation.

This training is designed for SANEs interested in providing expert testimony. This class is also designed for prosecutors assigned to sexual assault and domestic violence cases who want to learn more about the effective use of a SANE as an expert witness in their cases. Priority admission will go to those medical providers working on cases arising in Indian Country.

This class has a mock trial component. Prosecutors and a SANE(s) who work cases together are encouraged to register as a team.

Leslie A. Hagen
National Indian Country Training Coordinator
US Department of Justice
1620 Pendleton Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Leslie.Hagen3@usdoj.gov
Office: 803-705-5061
Blackberry: 202-658-8490