In this week’s episode, I talk with Jonathan Steele about the pros and cons of being an attorney when taking the witness stand. We discuss his experience in depositions as well as in court and he gives great advice on what to expect when testifying. We then transition the conversation to cyber security which is his new focus for family law and privacy.

Join me as the tables are turned, and I am a guest on the Ripple Effect of Murder. I interviewed Jan Canty in episodes 35 and 36 of TTT, discussing what it was like to be a homicide victim survivor. Now, on Jan's podcast, we discuss how homicide survivors may be used in a homicide trial and the emotional stress they come under. We talk about the delicate balance of keeping emotions in check without appearing stoic or removed which may result in looking indifferent.

Jan raised the point that fatigue sets in so even focusing on being able to focus on individual questions becomes taxing. We also talk about how we can protect witnesses that have gone through the trauma, pre, during and post testifying.

Join me talking with Michelle Madrid, a crime scene investigator for the Los Angeles County Sherriff Department with a specialty in DNA evidence. Michelle talks about her 19+ years career and how the Department is changing the environment and stigma to support vicarious trauma. We also discuss how she is not a witness for either side and how bias does and does not play a part in her findings. She describes why testifying is the most important part of the job because as she says – “I can do everything right but if I can’t articulate my findings to a jury it doesn't matter.” She is also one of the authors of the Forensic DNA Interpretation and Human Factors: Improving Practice Through a Systems Approach report which is used as the standard for DNA interpretation.