Dr. Patrick Barnes
Pediatric Neuroradiologist
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Stanford, CA

Current Research Interests:  Advanced imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging, of injury to the developing central nervous system; including fetal, neonatal, infant and young child; and including nonaccidental injury (e.g. child abuse).

Dr. Barnes first learned about shaken baby syndrome during medical school, which he completed in 1973. He earned his board certifications in diagnostic radiology in 1977 and neuroradiology in 1995. He testified for the prosecution in the Louise Woodward trial in 1997, reporting his honest opinion based on his understanding at the time. After the trial, however, he began reading the literature outside his own specialty and reached a startling conclusion, that critics of shaken baby syndrome theory were correct. He has complicated his professional life tremendously by publishing and testifying about his new understanding of medical conditions that can mimic abuse.

Professor – Med Center Line, Radiology – Pediatric Radiology

Practices at Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Dr. Ronald Uscinski
Neurosurgeon
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, DC


Special Interests:

Pediatric Neurosurgery
Mechanisma of CNS Trauma

Dr. Uscinski was called in by a colleague for a second opinion about a disturbing case in which the police were prosecuting an au pair for the shaking death of an 8-month-old baby. Puzzled at the diagnosis, Dr. Uscinski started examining the medical literature about infant head injury and eventually agreed to testify for the defense in the trial of “Boston nanny” Louise Woodward.

Like so many other professionals in this arena, he was inspired by his personal experience to continue researching and writing about shaken baby syndrome and infant head injury.

Mr. Zachary Bravos
Legal Counsel
Wheaton, IL

Mr. Bravos has a bachelor of arts with concentrations in chemistry, English literature, and philosophy.  I have always appreciated both the demands of science and the liberal arts approach to learning.  My education attempts to reflect the mandate of my favorite philosopher Aristotle, who believed that we have an ethical duty to realize our full potential.  For this reason I also play classical guitar (since 9 years old) paint, ballroom dance, photograph wildlife, hunt mushrooms, cook, and generally drive my wife crazy.

I was licensed as an attorney in 1978 and have now practiced law for over 30 years.  In that time I have handled cases ranging from speeding tickets to death penalty murder cases.  I have been involved in all aspects of civil litigation, criminal defense, administrative appeals, and child welfare proceedings.  I have been privileged to participate directly in cases in 19 of our United States and have consulted on cases in most of the country.

My approach to the practice of law is quite simple. In any given case you must learn all of the facts. That means reviewing every document, investigating every piece of evidence, and organizing all of this material so that it makes sense and is easily accessible. Then you must fully understand the applicable law. That means recognizing where the law is clear, areas where it is unsettled, and areas where it may be subject to change or expansion. Applying the facts to the law and presenting them in an effective way in court to support your theory of the case is the real essence of trial skill.

Understanding all of the facts includes understanding all of the theories and science that underlies them. In science intensive cases that means being able to separate science from pseudoscience, reality from fantasy, reliability from fiction, truth from falsity, and the appropriate use of experts to educate and inform. I believe that even the most seemingly complex cases can be made easily understandable if broken down into their constituent parts and presented in a fair and straightforward manner.

Defending the innocent carries special responsibility. Our legal system is essentially a truth-seeking device. When it fails to find the truth, when it wrongly assesses the innocent as guilty, it fails of its essential purpose and the entire system suffers. For the individual the consequences are devastating: possible loss of liberty, loss of family, social stigma, and life-long emotional suffering.

Defending the innocent is fraught with pitfalls and knowing when and how to take these actions requires deep understanding of how those involved in the investigation and prosecution of offenses think, operate, and view the world. My understanding has developed over 30 years of experience in defending those whom I believe were falsely accused.
Picture
 Dr. Mark Schumann 
Dr. Mark Shuman is Associate Medical Examiner at the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department and is an expert in the area of Shaken Baby Syndrome and has testified in numerous such cases. Dr. Shuman attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following which he completed one year of residency in General Surgery at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and completed a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the Jackson Hospital Memorial Hospital in Miami. While completing his residency in Florida, he completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems at the Nova Southeastern University in Fort             Lauderdale. Finally, in 2000, Dr. Shuman completed a Forensic Pathology Fellowship at the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department where he currently works as an Associate Examiner.
Picture
Dr. Doug Benson 
Orthopedic Surgeon

Chico, California

Profile to be updated shortly

 Detective Jim Trainum

 
 Sue Luttner 
Technical Writer and Journalist
Palo Alto, CA


Sue Luttner was drawn into the child-abuse arena 15 years ago, when the adult niece of a friend was convicted of shaking a neighbor’s baby into permanent brain damage.

Sue made her first trip to the medical library in 1998, just as the explosive debate surrounding shaken baby syndrome was heating up. She has since followed the story to conferences and courthouses, hospitals and prisons, and the homes of people whose lives have been torn apart one way or another by a diagnosis of shaking. You can read about her conclusions on her web site and blog at http://onsbs.com/.

A former software technical writer and editor, Sue now edits medical and bioengineering journal articles and is wrapping up a book about her research on shaken baby syndrome.
 Mr Jack Hittrich 
Practiced primarily family law for over 27 years. Appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, Rick v. Brandsema 2009 SCC 9. Proved MInistry of Children wrong in supporting sexually abusive father against mother of 4 children whose cry for help was used against her, in 92 day trial, JP v BG 2012 BCSC 938.

Served on Canadian Bar Association (CBA) committees advising on Child Support Guidelines, Judicial Case Conferences, Supreme Court Family Rules, and the new Family Law Act of BC. Advised the Attorney General of BC on family law legislation. Course co-ordinator and lecturer for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC. Served in various CBA Family Law sub section executive positions.

Served as president for political associations at both provincial and federal level. Co chair of recent federal policy conference.

Jack Hittrich Family Law Group

http://www.hzfamilylaw.com/index.html
Bruce Pitt-Payne
Bruce PITT-PAYNE is a sergeant with the RCMP and has served for 23 years in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The majority of his career has been spent investigating major crimes such as homicide and sexual offences. He currently is the Program Manager of Investigative Interviewing Training at the RCMP’s Pacific Region Training Centre in Chilliwack, BC. He is a Subject-Matter Expert on the following: interviewing, interrogation, child-interviewing, sex offences and investigative techniques.

Presentation Topic: The ethical interviewing of adult and child witnesses in Canada and the acceptable standards of police persuasion.
Angela Sibbald
RN,BSN

GVLNCA

http://greatervancouverlegalnurseconsultant.com/

Angela Sibbald graduated from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1997. Since the fall of 2009, she has had the privilege of serving on the executive of the Greater Vancouver Legal Nurse Consultant Association (GVLNCA).  In August, 2013, several of her nursing colleagues and her had the pleasure of meeting Anne Renk Bernardo, a Legal Nurse Consultant, at the Evidenced Based Medicine Social Investigation Group conference in Surrey, British Columbia. Anne’s passion in helping families who have been wrongfully accused has spread to several of their GVLNCA members. They are looking forward to providing assistance to families and their legal counsel through the EMBSI.