Cost: $25.00
Location: Kendall County Sheriff's Office, 6 Staudt St., Boerne, TX 78006
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Effective courtroom testimony by law enforcement officials is a must in today's world of case prosecution. Successful prosecution depends in part on a competent and professional presentation to the jury and/or judge by the law enforcement official. Most law enforcement officials receive little, if any, formal training regarding courtroom testimony.
The courtroom is a different world. The nuances of effective testimony can be easily overlooked by the law enforcement official who underestimates their importance. With television shows and the news media greatly shaping the public's perception of law enforcement, today's officer on the witness stand faces an uphill battle if he/she is not equipped with tips for testifying.
This course will teach officers the do's and don'ts of testifying. They will learn the courtroom process and procedures. In addition, they will learn how and why a personal connection must be made with the judge/jury and how to identify and protect their personal credibility.
Expert witness testimony can greatly influence the outcome of a trial. Information will be provided during this course regarding expert witness qualifications as well as limitations. The final block of instruction will teach officers how to identify and counter standard/favorite tactics used by defense attorneys.
The instructor, Dr. Anita Seamans, has been teaching issues in criminal investigation for over 27 years and is a 32-year law enforcement veteran. Dr. Seamans earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2011 and has been an instructor at the AACOG Police Academy, Our Lady of the Lake University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and is a national instructor for Professional Law Enforcement Training. Dr. Seamans is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and served as the Director of the Southwest Regional Academy in Mancos, Colorado. She recently retired as the director of the Southwest Regional Law Enforcement Academy located in Southwest Colorado. Dr. Seamans worked for the Live Oak Police Department for 31 years and was a member of the criminal investigation unit for 20 years. She has investigated a wide range of criminal cases, including capital murder, sexual assault, robbery, negligent homicide, child abuse, credit card fraud, drug offenses, burglary, and theft. She participated in a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team and served that team as a combat medic, sniper, sniper team leader, assistant commander, and commander. Dr. Seamans is a recognized expert in questioned document examination and handwriting comparison. She was assigned to the F.B.I. task force "Innocent Images," where she served for 18 months and was also assigned to a D.E.A. task force in 2014. Dr. Seamans has been featured on the television series "I almost got away with it", "Women Behind Bars," and "Dr. G Medical Examiner".
Payment/Cancellation/Refund Policy
Payment by credit card should be made at the time of registration. Payment by check should be received before the class date, however payment by check or cash may be made at the beginning of class.
Cancellations should be made as soon as possible in order to allow those students on a waiting list time to register and pay for the class. Cancellations made two weeks prior to class will be eligible for a refund. Cash, Check and credit card payments are refundable, however convenience fees associated with credit card payments are non-refundable.
We understand situations arise where cancellation is necessary. However, repeated cancellations may affect future attendance in other classes.