Courtroom Testimony: A Cop's Perspective

This course is designed to improve your skills in testimony, increase your awareness of the court system processes, and help you understand your role in describing the elements of the crime to a judge or jury in a reasonable light. The initial investigation, arrest, or traffic citation is only the beginning stage of a long legal process. This class will discuss details involved in your initial court hearing, suppression hearings, explanations and descriptions of physical evidence, expert testimony, witness testimony issues, and closing statements by the attorneys. One of the most important tools often overlooked during the training cycle of law enforcement officers, is how to win in court when the defense attorney attempts to distract the jury with claims of insufficient evidence, lazy police procedure, and inconsistent witness testimony. The instructor in this course will provide useful tools on the importance of police report documentation to help you recover in the courtroom after a witness provides incomplete testimony or fails to provide complete details on the witness stand. This class will provide you with the foresight, and attention to detail, to consider at your next investigation to win over the jury in your future courtroom presentation.

Course Objectives

 Testimony mistakes made involving interviews, search, seizure, and pretext stops.

 Report Writing Challenges

 Documentation of Crime Scene Details

 Getting Witnesses on Board

 What the lead investigator needs to know.

 Your relationship with the Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, and Judge.

 Stages of Witness Testimony and controlling your emotions during testimony.

 Expert Witness Testimony.

 Defense Attorney Tactics.

 Lessons Learned, and the Impact your testimony has on a Jury’s decision.



Prerequisites
This class is intended for sworn law enforcement officers, and/or, prosecuting attorneys/district attorneys (Federal and State).