January 20, 2012       
Africa Room
8:30 - 4:30

Reporting Child Abuse:  Obligations, Procedures and Pitfalls

As the Penn State University scandal involving allegations of child sexual abuse and cover-up by university officials continues to unfold, the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law will be doing its part to shed light on the broader subject matter by convening a panel of experts to discuss the legal and ethical obligations of reporting suspicions of child abuse, as well as the criminal justice procedures and some of the common pitfalls involved in pursuing such allegations.

Please join Joan Mills and Sara Gluzman, respectively the manager and a forensic interviewer at A Child's Place at Mercy; Bruce Noel, intake manager for the Allegheny County Department of Children, Youth and Families; Soo Song, first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Estern District of Pennsylvania; private attorney Charles LoPresti; Pittsburgh Police Detective Aprill Campbell; and State College Police Detective Chris Weaver for this timely and informative full-day program.  

Neuroscience on Trial:  New Uses of Neuroscientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Litigation

With the explosion of litigation stemming from traumatic brain injuries and post-concussive syndrome, as well as the emerging role of fMRI scans to detect deception in criminal suspects, the role of neuroscience in the justice system has never been greater.  Please join Dr. Lawson F. Bernstein, Jr., a clinical and forensic neuropsychiatrist; William R. Caroselli, and attorney who concentrates his practice on personal injury law, toxic torts and complex litigation, and Professor Jane Campbell Moriarty, associate dean and Carol Los Mansmann Chair in Faculty Scholarship at Duquesne University's School of Law, for this timely and informative seminar.

The Role of Private Investigators in Forensic Cases

Often overlooked as users of forensic science is the vast community of private investigators who are frequently counted on by attorneys to apply the appropriate scientific expertise and methodologies in their work on a wide variety of criminal, civil and family disputes.  Please join private investigators Huey Gillespie, Robert Meinert, and Jeff Stein, along with criminal defense attorney Harry Cancelmi for this eye-opening seminar.

The Role of Legal Nurse Consultants and Experts in Forensic Investigation and Legal Proceedings

Among the many ways in which nursing professionals interface with the justice system is through the role of legal nurse consultants, who work with or at law firms to help attorneys assess the viability of cases ranging from medical malpractice to personal injury.  In addition, a wide variety of nurses are frequently called upon to offer their expertise in court.  Please join Duquesne University Associate Professor of Nursing and Coordinator of Graduate Forensic Nursing Programs L. Kathleen Sekula and other speakers in this informative seminar.

May 18, 2012
Power Center Ballroom                  
8:30 - 4:30

Shaken Baby Syndrome:  Clinical, Investigative and Legal Considerations

As a recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine showed, shaken baby syndrome, a medical diagnosis long depended upon in the prosecution of child abuse cases, is a tricky one to make and is consequently proving an often unreliable basis for criminal convictions.  In this full-day collaborative seminar with Duquesne University's schools of Law and Nursing, the Institute aims to cut through the controversy and shed more light on the scientific, legal and investigative issues underlying this diagnosis.  Please join forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, local SBS expert Dr. Rachel Berger and numerous other speakers for this timely and important program.