This FREE presentation prepares law enforcement officers and detention personnel to testify effectively during cross-examination by understanding how attorneys identify vulnerabilities, how impeachment works, how reports are compared against recordings and prior statements, and how officer demeanor affects credibility. It gives officers practical courtroom habits that support truthful testimony and accurate recordkeeping.
Topics Include:
- Why cross-examination is designed to test credibility, accuracy, memory, bias, & report completeness.
- Distinguishing between personal observation, inference, later-acquired knowledge, hearsay, & refreshed recollection.
- Identifying common defense tactics such as yes/no compression, repetition, document ambush, tunnel-vision attacks, and impeachment by omission.
- Writing reports that accurately document legally significant facts without overstating certainty or hiding uncertainty.
- Answering difficult questions directly while refusing to adopt misleading premises.
- Correcting errors candidly and explaining omissions without becoming argumentative.
- Maintaining a professional demeanor before, during, and after testimony.
About the Presenter:
April Wood has practiced law for more than 21 years. She began her career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in a large jurisdiction that allowed her to work with victims affected by violent crime. April’s experience includes serving as an elected Prosecuting Attorney in Scotland County & appointed to serve as Prosecuting Attorney in Clark County, Missouri. April graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Communication from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia, School of Law.
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