Search
Close this search box.

Expert Witness Testimony and FIGG

  • Workshop
  • September 26, 2024 //
  • 1:30 pm -
  • 4:30 pm //
  • Grand Oaks Ballroom CD

Description:

Testifying in forensic cases can often be stressful for witnesses. While testimony regarding DNA technology has been provided for decades, the recent advancements in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy provide new and emerging considerations for expert witnesses.

With the rapid application of FIGG and the first acceptance of NGS in a criminal court case last year, there is a critical need to update expert testimony skills. As with anything else, practical experience provides a safe space to make mistakes and ask questions. In this workshop, we will provide a basic overview of testifying in FIGG cases for analysts and genealogists. This will include both the basics of expert witness testimony as well as legal considerations for both FIGG and NGS. Attendees will have lectures, be given a mock case, and have an opportunity to testify amongst other experienced experts.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Learn testimony basics for beginners
  2. Understand special considerations for advanced techniques
  3. Explore mock cases with NGS and FIGG

 

Intended Audience:

Forensic analysts and forensic genealogists. Some knowledge required.

Description:

Testifying in forensic cases can often be stressful for witnesses. While testimony regarding DNA technology has been provided for decades, the recent advancements in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy provide new and emerging considerations for expert witnesses.

With the rapid application of FIGG and the first acceptance of NGS in a criminal court case last year, there is a critical need to update expert testimony skills. As with anything else, practical experience provides a safe space to make mistakes and ask questions. In this workshop, we will provide a basic overview of testifying in FIGG cases for analysts and genealogists. This will include both the basics of expert witness testimony as well as legal considerations for both FIGG and NGS. Attendees will have lectures, be given a mock case, and have an opportunity to testify amongst other experienced experts.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Learn testimony basics for beginners
  2. Understand special considerations for advanced techniques
  3. Explore mock cases with NGS and FIGG

 

Intended Audience:

Forensic analysts and forensic genealogists. Some knowledge required.

Pricing:


  • Standard Registration$275
  • Student Registration$125

Fees include lunch, break and handouts.

  • Early Registration
  • $250.00
  • Standard Registration (after July 15)
  • $295.00
  • Student Registration$195.00
  • $195.00

Workshop currently at capacity. A waitlist is available to join on our registration page.

Brought to you by

Worldwide Association of Women Forensic Experts

Chair

Anne Marie Schubert

Former Sacramento County District Attorney

Ms. Schubert has advanced cutting-edge DNA technologies for nearly three decades.  This includes conducting one of the first DNA admissibility hearings on the validity of PCR based DNA evidence in California, resulting in a published appellate opinion.  She pioneered the use of John Doe DNA warrants in 2000, a practice since upheld by the California Supreme Court and now routinely used throughout the country. In 2002, she formed Sacramento’s Cold Case Prosecution Unit, and served as its first prosecutor, solving, and prosecuting several high-profile cases including the rape and murder of Deborah Chandler by convicted serial killer Wilbur Jennings aka “The Ditch Bank Killer.” 

Speaker Image

Ted Lagerwall

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Canyon County, Idaho

Ted Lagerwall has been a career prosecutor for over 25 years. He is currently an assistant prosecuting attorney in Canyon County, Idaho. Soon after arriving at the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Ted Lagerwall became the lead prosecutor in a cold case prosecution involving the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl in 1982. The case had a long history, including the wrongful conviction of an innocent man sentenced to death row for over 18 years, before mitochondrial DNA evidence cleared him and led to his release in 2001. The case remained a cold case until 2020, when new and advanced DNA testing was performed on old hair evidence utilizing whole genome sequencing. This, along with other evidence, helped secure the conviction of this girl’s killer. The introduction of whole genome sequencing was used for the first time to establish identity in the United States with this case, and sets the groundwork for its use in future cases.

Speaker Image

Submit Question to a speaker

Stay ahead with ISHI Updates

Get the inside track on all things ISHI. Sign up now for early access to announcements and crucial conference deadlines. Join our mailing list today and be the first to know what's next in the world of DNA forensics.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Address*
I consent to ISHI adding my email address to their mailing list.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Social Media

Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin-in Icon-youtube-play

Copyright © 2024 ISHI. All Rights Reserved.