You’ve reviewed the case file. You know the results. You’re confident in the science.
Then the defense attorney asks you a question you didn’t expect. The jury looks confused. A follow-up question rephrases what you just said in a way that isn’t quite right — and now you have to decide, in real time, whether to correct the record and how.
Technical accuracy is necessary. It isn’t sufficient.
Forensic DNA analysts are trained extensively in laboratory science, quality assurance, and interpretation. The courtroom asks something different: the ability to communicate under scrutiny, maintain composure under adversarial pressure, and explain complex conclusions to people who have no scientific background — without overstating certainty or concealing limitations.
That combination of skills doesn’t develop automatically. ISHI On-Demand’s second module addresses that gap directly.
Now Available: Expert Witness Testimony Skills for Forensic DNA Analysts
The Expert Witness Testimony module brings together attorneys, prosecutors, laboratory leaders, forensic science educators, and a wrongful conviction exoneree to examine what effective courtroom testimony actually requires — not as a checklist, but as a professional competency.
Across eight video segments totaling 3 hours and 35 minutes, the module explores the human stakes of testimony, practical preparation strategies, courtroom communication, cross-examination, and how lab leaders can build a culture of continuous improvement. It’s available now for $75.
Rather than scripted responses or litigation tactics, the module focuses on what analysts and lab leaders can control: preparation, clarity, composure, and fidelity to the science.
Why Testimony Requires Its Own Development
Craig O’Connor, Director of the Department of Forensic Biology at the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner — the largest forensic biology laboratory in the country — puts it plainly in the module: the science should speak for itself. The analyst’s role is to present the evidence objectively and educate the jury in a way that’s accessible to someone without a science background.
That framing — analyst as educator, not advocate — runs throughout the module. But the execution is harder than it sounds.
Susan Horan, DNA Specialist at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and a former OCME criminalist, describes the structural challenge analysts face: the vast majority of cases never go to trial. Analysts are busy with casework, and court dates are frequently delayed or postponed. By the time a case actually reaches trial, preparation time has often been consumed by continuances and competing lab demands.
That context makes deliberate preparation all the more important.
The Broader Stakes of Forensic Testimony
The module opens with Jeffrey Deskovic — attorney, exoneree, and founder of The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice — describing his own wrongful conviction. His account isn’t presented as a cautionary tale about malice. It’s a detailed examination of how evidence gets interpreted, how testimony shapes juror perception, and what happens when scientific findings are misunderstood or misapplied.
Deskovic’s presence in the module is deliberate. His experience grounds the content in something that forensic scientists know intellectually but don’t always carry into the courtroom: the conclusions they present can determine whether someone is convicted or exonerated. The expert witness isn’t a procedural formality. The work carries real consequences.
That framing shapes how the rest of the module is built.
What the Module Covers
Eight segments move from the personal to the practical to the systemic:
- Why Testimony Matters. Jeffrey Deskovic’s ISHI 2025 plenary address establishes the human stakes of forensic testimony through his firsthand account of wrongful conviction and exoneration.
- Jeffrey Deskovic’s Story — Lessons for Forensic Analysts. A deeper interview exploring the role forensic testimony played in his case, the distinction between science and advocacy, and what analysts can control: preparation, clarity, and fidelity to the science.
- Preparing for Court. Craig O’Connor and Susan Horan address preparation from both laboratory leadership and prosecutorial perspectives — what to expect, how to prepare, and why pretrial communication with attorneys matters.
- Courtroom Fundamentals. Diva Casas, Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County, addresses demeanor, credibility, and practical courtroom mechanics — including the most common avoidable mistakes analysts make on the stand.
- Communicating Complex Science Clearly. Kelly Elkins and Alyse Margetts discuss strategies for translating technical DNA concepts into accessible language — and how laboratories can build that skill through structured practice, not just experience.
- Handling Cross-Examination. Rachel Singer and Rachel Oefelein address what defense attorneys are actually trying to accomplish during cross, how analysts can avoid the “yes disease,” and practical strategies for staying focused on the science under adversarial questioning.
- Leadership and Continuous Improvement. The Forensic Leadership Alliance — Ray Wickenheiser, Julie Sikorsky, John Collins, and Pamela Marshall — discusses how lab leaders can build long-term courtroom readiness through structured training, mock exercises, peer feedback, and a culture that treats testimony as an ongoing professional competency.
- Parting Advice. Concise closing reflections from contributors across the module — grounded in experience, focused on preparation, composure, and the professional responsibility that comes with the witness stand.
Who It's Designed For
This module was built for a broad audience across the forensic community:
- Analysts preparing for testimony — including those approaching it for the first time
- Experienced analysts who want additional context or perspective on shared challenges
- Laboratory supervisors and directors building or refining testimony training programs
- Forensic science students and trainees developing foundational professional skills
- Legal professionals seeking to better understand forensic DNA communication in court
ACCESS THE EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY MODULE NOW
Also available: Probabilistic Genotyping, DNA Mixtures, and Likelihood Ratios — ISHI On-Demand’s first module.
Coming soon: Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG).