Expert witnesses are essential in domestic violence/intimate partner violence cases because they provide the court with specialized knowledge that goes beyond common understanding. Domestic violence/Intimate partner violence is a complex and often misunderstood issue, involving patterns of coercive control, trauma responses, and the impact of abuse on victims’ decision-making and behavior. Jurors, judges, and even attorneys may hold misconceptions about why a survivor remains in an abusive relationship, recants, or does not report the abuse immediately. Expert witnesses can explain these dynamics, helping the court to understand behaviors that may otherwise seem counterintuitive.
Expert Witness Preconference
Justice Through Understanding: Expert Testimony on Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence Case
This preconference will guide participants to understand the role and responsibilities of an expert witness to explore what it means to serves as an expert witness, including key responsibilities, ethical considerations, and how to prepare clear, helpful reports that support survivor-centered, trauma-informed testimony; critically analyze and apply advanced concepts; and share strategies on how to practice and strengthen testimony delivery through scenario-based exercises and simulations.
Location: Houston Room A
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am (30 min)
Registration
8:30am - 9:00am (30 min)
Welcome: Faculty Introduction and Training Overview
9:00am - 9:55am (55 min)
Understanding Domestic Violence and Trauma
9:55am - 10:10am (15 min)
Break
10:10am - 11:00am (50 min)
The Role of the Expert Witness
11:00am - 12:00pm (1 hr)
Preparing for Testimony
12:00pm - 1:00pm (1 hr)
Lunch
1:00pm - 1:30pm (30 min)
Continuation of Preparing for Testimony – Mock Session
1:30pm - 3:00pm (1 hr & 30 min)
Cross-Examination and Courtroom Dynamics
3:00pm - 3:15pm (15 min)
Break
3:15pm - 4:15pm (1 hr)
Practice Lab
4:15pm - 4:30pm (15 min)
Closing & Reflection
TRAINING FACULTY
Michelle B. Toledo Caiñas
Michelle B. Toledo Caiñas is a nationally recognized trainer, consultant, and advocate with over 20 years of experience addressing gender-based violence and advancing culturally responsive practices. A bilingual and bicultural leader, she founded Georgia Latinos Against Domestic Violence and later managed programs with Ser Familia and the Center for Justice Innovation, where she coordinated national projects on intimate partner violence risk assessment and homicide prevention. Ms.Toledo Caiñas has provided expert witness testimony in civil and criminal cases, delivered training for organizations nationwide, and spoken at leading conferences, including the Conference on Crimes Against Women and the American Probation and Parole Association. She has served on multiple boards, including the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Ahimsa House, and was named Task Force Member of the Year by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.
Ric Hertel
Ric Hertel is the elected Prosecuting Attorney in Ripley County, the 80th Judicial Circuit in Indiana. Mr. Hertel was first elected in 1998 and has served seven consecutive terms. Prior to becoming Prosecutor, Mr. Hertel did criminal defense work. He presents regularly to State, County, and Local police agencies on a variety of different topics including 4thAmendment, domestic violence, OWI law, sexual assault, and updating officers on changes in statutory and case law. He has presented for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorney’s Council (IPAC) and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Inc., an organization representing Indiana’s prosecutors. He has acted as faculty at the National Advocacy Center and for the National District Attorney’s Association (NDAA) throughout the country on various topics, including trial advocacy, sexual assault, domestic violence, ethics, community prosecution, Crawford, prosecuting public figures, and civil liability. Mr. Hertel has taught for the National Children’s Advocacy Center at the 28th Annual National Symposium on Child Abuse in Huntsville, AL. He also presented in Dallas at the 25thAnnual Crimes Against Children Conference on the Multidisciplinary Team. In 2019, Hertel presented at the Crimes Against Women Conference in Dallas on a newly created topic, The Kavanaugh Effect and presented there again on a case study outlining a domestic violence murder case. Additionally, he has taught for prosecutor organizations in multiple states and throughout the State of Indiana for many coalitions and task forces. He was instrumental in starting the Region 15 CAC, Indiana’s first regional CAC that serves six rural counties, including his. Most recently in 2025, he finished the prosecution of Indiana’s largest public corruption case as a special prosecutor.
Dottie Davis
Dottie Davis is a nationally recognized speaker who previously served 32 years with the Fort Wayne Police Department where she attained the rank of Deputy Chief and was last assigned as the Director of Training at their police academy. Chief Davis implemented and wrote policy for the agency for the Crisis Intervention Team and for the Lethality Assessment Program and served as a hostage negotiator for 7 years. During her career, she received two Meritorious Service Citations, named law enforcement officer of the year by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Rocky Mountain Women in Law Enforcement. Chief Davis is dedicated to the prevention and intervention of suicide, and therefore contracts with CIT International to train law enforcement and mental health professionals across the world to better respond to individuals in a mental health crisis. She is also a contracted trainer for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium, Fair and Impartial Policing, and the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Chief Davis is a graduate of the National FBI Academy, Gavin de Becker & Associates Advanced Threat Assessment Academy, and Purdue University, and is the owner of Davis Corporate Training, Inc., a private consulting firm focusing on violence prevention and expert witness testimony in both civil and criminal cases.
