Medical-Forensic Expert Witness
Sexual assault & SAFE exam expert witness
Independent review and testimony in sexual assault cases, for prosecution and defense. A normal examination is common after an assault. I interpret SAFE/SANE findings and their limits, grounded in the literature and the specific facts.
What I review in a sexual assault case
The medical-forensic record in a sexual assault case is frequently asked to carry more than it can. I read the SAFE/SANE documentation, the photographs, the medical records, and the relevant literature, and I explain what the findings support, and where they stop.
- SAFE/SANE examination documentation, body diagrams, and photographs
- Medical, emergency-department, and forensic examination records
- Depositions, interviews, and prior statements
- The peer-reviewed literature on examination findings and their interpretation
Normal and non-specific exam findings
The most consequential fact in these cases is one both sides tend to over-read: a normal or non-specific genital examination is common after sexual assault. It is not evidence that nothing happened, and a finding is not, by itself, proof that something did.
Key limits of the exam
- A normal exam is common. It neither confirms nor excludes an assault.
- Many findings are non-specific. Some have innocent explanations that must be considered, not dismissed.
- Healing is fast and variable. Timing of the exam changes what can and cannot be seen.
- Technique matters. How an exam was performed and documented affects what the record can support.
- "Consistent with" is not proof. It means a finding does not exclude a hypothesis, not that it caused or confirmed it.
A careful opinion states those limits up front, whichever side they favor.
Examination experience
I have served on a sexual assault medical-forensic examination team since 2019, performing and supervising adult, adolescent, and pediatric examinations, and I completed the Defense Health Agency Forensic Healthcare Examiner course in 2023. The opinions I offer about SAFE/SANE documentation come from doing and teaching the examination, not only reading about it.
For prosecution and defense
I accept engagements from both the prosecution and the defense, and I apply the same methodology and the same fee structure regardless of retaining party. Details of how an engagement proceeds are available for the prosecution and for the defense.
Common questions
Sexual assault & SAFE exam expert FAQ
Does a normal SAFE/SANE exam mean no sexual assault occurred?
No. A normal or non-specific genital examination is common after sexual assault. A normal exam neither confirms nor excludes assault, and a finding does not, by itself, confirm one. Each has to be interpreted against the literature and the specific facts.
Do you review cases for the prosecution or the defense?
Both. I accept engagements from prosecution and defense, applying the same standards and the same fee structure in either case. Retaining counsel receives a candid assessment of where the evidence is stronger or weaker than anticipated.
What do you review in a sexual assault case?
SAFE/SANE examination documentation and photographs, medical and emergency records, the forensic examination record, depositions and interviews, and the relevant peer-reviewed literature, applied to the specific facts.
Can you testify outside your home jurisdiction?
Yes. Deposition and trial testimony are available CONUS and OCONUS, for prosecution or defense, subject to a conflict and fit check.
Other areas of expertise
Strangulation
Non-fatal strangulation: the frequent absence of external findings, and the science.
Intimate partner violence
Patterns of injury: what a finding suggests versus what it proves.
Child abuse
Literature-grounded pediatric review: the differential, the mimics, the limits.
All services & process
Records review, reports, deposition, and testimony, and how an engagement runs.
Further reading: Why a Normal Exam Is Common in Child Sexual Abuse · How Often Adult Sexual Assault Exams Show Genital Injury.
Contact
Discuss a sexual assault case.
Tell me the jurisdiction and the question you need answered. I'll tell you if I'm the right person for it. If I'm not, I'll say so.
info@firstdoknowharm.comInquiries only. Please don't send privileged or protected material until we've confirmed there's no conflict and agreed how to proceed.