ROCKY HILL – The Division of Criminal Justice held a two-day training program on March 13 and March 14 for prosecutors regarding the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases.
The training, held in the Kevin T. Kane Training Center at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill, was coordinated by Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa M. D’Angelo, the Division’s Director of the Office of Ethics and Professional Standards.
Instructors in the program included Rachel Henderson and Kim McKinnon, program managers with SAFE Response, who discussed trauma-informed care, and Kaila Annunziata, a lab assistant and coordinator of the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) at the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), who talked about how the SAKI grant program promotes best practices involving the most effective and sustainable practices for collecting and processing forensic evidence for the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases. Beth Hamilton, Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, discussed victim assistance, community education and public policy advocacy.
Forensic Science Examiner 2 Jillian B. Echard, a training coordinator in the DNA Unit of DESPP, gave a presentation on lab reports and Executive Assistant State’s Attorney D’Angelo and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Kelly E. Davis of the Statewide Prosecution in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney discussed plea bargaining.
The training also included a visit from police therapy dogs whose handlers emphasized the value of using canines to help support sexual assault victims, particularly children who have been assaulted and abused. Participants included Southern Connecticut State University Police Sgt. Cynthia Torres with K9 Jules, New Haven Police Detective Christopher Boyle with K9 Sunny, Yale Police Officer Rich Simons and K9 Heidi, Meriden Police Officer Stephanie Massella and K9 John, Connecticut State Police Trooper First Class Mattew Weber with K9 Viera and State Police Trooper Stephanie Cortes with K9 Trey.
Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey M. Miranda of the Conviction Integrity Unit discussed discovery compliance in light of Connecticut Supreme Court decisions in State v. Esposito and State v. Juan A.G.-P, and and Alexandra Gittines, a trainer and Court Planner 2 in the Office of Victim Services with the state Judicial Branch Superior Court Operations Division, discussed victim compensation and pre-trial victim meetings.
The training ended with a discussion about frequent motions applied in sexual assault cases at the pre-trial phase led by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Davis and Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo.
This latest training program is part of a series of instructional programs the Office of Ethics and Professional Standards offers throughout the year for members of the Division as well as for police officers across the state.