Program Chair:

Katherine H. Judson
Center for Integrity in Forensic Science
Madison

Presenters:

Cynthia Cale
DNA Mavens Forensic Services
Houston, TX

Guy J. Cardamone
Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin
Madison

John C. Ellis, Jr
Law Offices of John C. Ellis, Jr
San Diego, CA

Hon. John D. Hyland
Dane County Circuit Court
Madison

Hon. Beth W. Jantz
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Chicago, IL

Teuta Jonuzi
Hargrove, Jonuzi, and Wood
Middleton

Emily J. Prokesch
Columbia Law School
New York, NY

Hon. Jed S. Rakoff
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
New York, NY

Stacie H. Rosenzweig
Halling & Cayo S.C.
Milwaukee

Claudia Solis Lemus
University of Wisconsin
Madison

Dr. Kelly Sutherland
Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences
Madison

Georgina Wakefield
Larson LLP
Los Angelas, CA

8:15 AM Welcome and Opening Remarks

8:20 AM Statistics for Forensic Science

• Understand what probabilities are and how they are computed in practice
• How to select the correct probability rule depending on the situation: product rule, addition rule or conditional probabilities rule
• Describe the main fallacies when interpreting probabilities

Claudia Solís-Lemus

9:20 AM From Lab to Court: DNA-TPPR and Forensic Testimony

• Overview of key studies on DNA transfer, persistence, prevalence, and recovery (TPPR) and their implications for forensic science.
• Addressing common misconceptions about DNA evidence and its interpretation.
• Discussing Chapter 7 of the NIST.IR.8503 Report (How and When Questions in DNA Analysis).
• Highlighting the obstacles to comparing forensic DNA studies and the implications these challenges have for activity-level interpretations in legal contexts.

Cynthia Cale

10:20 AM Break

10:35 AM Judicial Perspectives

• Best practices when evidence is in a new or early stage of development

Moderator: Guy J. Cardamone Panelists: Hon. John D. Hyland, Hon. Beth W. Jantz Hon. Jed S. Rakoff

11:35 AM Lunch Break

12:35 PM The Dreaded Digital Dump: how to strategically tackle the digital evidence in your case

• Using a recently closed case as reference, discuss:

o Types of evidence encountered and the tools and techniques handling them

o Developing a litigation strategy

o Working with an expert and the dynamic between lawyer and expert in terms of linesbetween division of roles / responsibilities and collaboration

John C. Ellis, Jr Emily J. Prokesch

1:35 PM Ethics: Plea Bargaining and Forensic Science

• Effective assistance of counsel
• Special responsibilities of the prosecutor dealing with pro se parties during plea negotiations (SCR 20:3.8)
• Conflicts that may arise when representing co-defendants (SCR 20:1.7)
• Discuss the not-quite-overlap between an ineffective assistance claim made for the purposes of post-conviction relief, and whether there are actual violations of the Supreme Court Rules

Katherine H. Judson, Stacie H. Rosenzweig, Dr. Kelly Sutherland

2:25 pm Break

2:40 PM Forensic Science & OWIs

• Review the basics of blood testing in OWI cases using headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization methods.
• Comparing the two main labs that test forensic blood samples in OWI cases, the State Hygiene Lab and the State Crime Lab.
• Best practices when dealing with blood litigation packets from state labs in order to determine the flaws in the State’s case with the client’s sample.

Teuta Jonuzi

3:40 PM Forensic Sciences with Little Evidence

• What to do when there is little evidence
• Litigating a homicide case without an autopsy

Georgina Wakefield

4:40 PM Institute Concludes

• Confidently distinguish between reliable and unreliable scientific evidence
• Understand which scientific methods and standards should be adhered to in various forensic disciplines
• Distinguish between admissible and inadmissible forensic evidence 
• Effectively explain complex scientific evidence to judges and jurors 
• Maximize your ability to cross-examine forensic experts 
• Use your expanded knowledge of forensic science to facilitate equal justice

• Prosecutors
• Criminal defense lawyers
• Appellate lawyers
• Judges for criminal cases
• Appellate judges
• Law students
• Paralegals