November 28, 2011 -- Baltimore City State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein will host the Summit on Witness Intimidation on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, bringing together federal and state officials, as well as victim and witness service providers, from throughout the region to share best practices about how to protect and care for the victims and witnesses of crime.
"Justice is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve without the full cooperation of victims and witnesses. But as we all know, there are those who seek to deter victims and witnesses through intimidation and even violence. Like Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, I believe we can and must do an even better job when it comes to protecting victims and witness, engendering their trust, and ensuring that they feel free to testify openly and honestly," State's Attorney Bernstein said, explaining his motivation to organize the Summit.
Congressman Cummings, one of the nation's leading champions of witness security and protection, is serving as keynote speaker and honorary chairman.
"Violent retaliation against victims, witnesses, and informants threatens the very fabric of our criminal justice system and our communities," said Congressman Cummings. "Protecting witnesses is not just a law enforcement issue. It is a challenge that will take the combined efforts of government at every level. I am pleased that we are coming together to find ways to make certain that Americans who are simply trying to help create safer communities are protected."
The Summit will be held at in the Moot Courtroom at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Moot Courtroom.
The Summit will be open to the public and press from 1 p.m. through 2:15 p.m. This session includes Congressman Cummings' keynote address and the plenary discussion. Summit participants will be available for one-on-one media interviews from 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The break-out sessions starting at 2:30 p.m. will be closed to the public and press. The agenda follows.
Summit on Witness Intimidation
Welcome Moot Court Room, University of Baltimore School of Law 1:00-1:10
F. Michael Higginbotham, Esq., Dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law
Introduction of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings 1:10-1:15
Gregg L. Bernstein, State's Attorney for Baltimore City
Keynote Speaker and Honorary Chair 1:15-1:30
The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, U.S. Representative, Seventh District of Maryland
Plenary Session Moot Court Room, University of Baltimore School of Law 1:30-2:15
Angela D. Alsobrooks
State's Attorney for Prince George's County
Frederick H. Bealefeld III
Police Commissioner of Baltimore City
Russell P. Butler
Executive Director, Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center
Ronald C. Machen Jr.
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
Gregg L. Bernstein (Moderator)
State's Attorney for Baltimore City
Break 2:15-2:30
Session 1 2:30-3:30
Risk Assessment: When Should Witnesses and Victims Be Relocated?
In an era of limited resources, how can we best assess whether a witness is at risk such that physical relocation, whether temporary or permanent, is appropriate? What best practices are being employed to evaluate the legitimacy and extent of threats?
Location: Bogomolny Room, Student Center Building, 5th Floor
• Samuel Cogen
Captain, Baltimore City Sheriff's Office
• Dave Cordle
Chief Investigator & Coordinator of Witness Security Program, Office of the State's Attorney for Anne Arundel County
• Keith Harrison
Detective, Baltimore City Police Department Witness Relocation Unit
• Robert O. McCullough
Lieutenant & Commander of the Homeland Detective Division, Baltimore County Police Department
• Theresa Middleton (Moderator)
Chief of Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office
OR
Best Practices in Inter-jurisdictional and Multi-agency Partnerships
Too often cities, counties, and even individual agencies work strictly within the confines of their own jurisdiction or office, yet the problems facing victims and witnesses are legion and multi-faceted. With further budget cuts on the horizon, how can we work together – both within and across jurisdictional lines – to do more with less?
Location: The Performance Theater, Student Center Building, 5th Floor
• Steve Hess
Law Enforcement Coordinator, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland
• Leland Kent
Executive Director of Victim/Witness and Neighborhood Services, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
• Candace Parrott
Victim Witness Coordinator, Maryland State's Attorney's Association
• Reginald Scriber
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Community Services, Baltimore Housing
• Peggy Basham (Moderator)
Director of Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore County
Session 2 3:45-4:30
The Impact of Gangs on Witness Intimidation and Cooperation
The proliferation of gang membership has been frequently noted, but how does the increase in gang activity impact the community's willingness to cooperate with police and prosecutors as well as the risks faced by those who do cooperate and testify? What steps can be taken to identify a case as one with the potential for gang-related violence? Are there legal or physical tools that prosecutors and police need to combat gang-related witness intimidation and ultimately increase community cooperation?
Location: The Performance Theater, Student Center Building, 5th Floor
• Rod J. Rosenstein
United States Attorney for the District of Maryland
• Jeffrey Wennar
Assistant State's Attorney, Office of the State's Attorney for Montgomery County, Gang Prosecution Unit
• Kevin Wilson
Assistant State's Attorney and Team Captain of the Firearms Investigation Violence Enforcement Division, Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City
• Art K. Wynn Jr. (Moderator)
Chief Gang/Law Enforcement Coordinator, Criminal Division, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland
OR
Helping Victims and Witnesses with Unique Needs and Circumstances
This panel will consider how best to assist victims and witnesses who have special needs or face unique circumstances. In particular, the panel will examine how to work with non-English speaking and/or undocumented victims and witnesses; persons with physical or mental disabilities, whether or not those disabilities are a result of criminal behavior; and victims and witnesses suffering from domestic violence and/or post-traumatic stress syndrome
Location: Bogomolny Room, Student Center Building, 5th Floor
• Patricia Chiriboga-Roby
Director, World Relief Baltimore Immigration Legal Clinic
• Anthony Robinson
Clinical Case Manager, Mayor's Office on Criminal Justice
• Beth Volk
Maryland Safe at Home Confidentiality Program Coordinator, Office of the Secretary of State
• Heather Courtney (Moderator)
Witness Assistance Coordinator, Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City