Victim to Verdict

Working Together for Animals

Thank you for another successful conference! Victim to Verdict took place on Jan. 25-26, 2017. Information for the next session will be available as the event approaches.

Successful investigation and prosecution of animal crimes requires special consideration from law enforcement, veterinarians and prosecutors.

The two-day-long Victim to Verdict conference, hosted by the OHS Investigations team, brings together the nation’s leaders in the field of animal law and veterinary forensics and explores innovative and effective means of working collaboratively to enforce Oregon’s animal abuse and neglect laws.

Neglected dog, rescued by OHS

 

2017 Speakers

Emily Davidsohn joined the Investigations Department at the Oregon Humane Society in 2010 as an attorney and Investigations Case Coordinator. She manages the Investigations Department’s criminal animal cruelty cases from citation through prosecution, while working as the department’s liaison with district attorneys throughout the state. She also drafts and presents testimony during the legislative session in support of animal protection bills, supervises the legal internship program, writes policy for the department, conducts trainings for other law enforcement agencies, and assists on large-scale seizures with evidence collection and documentation.

Emily received her Juris Doctor and Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Vermont.

Linda Fielder has been with the Oregon Humane Society since 2003 and was a key player in conceptualizing and launching OHS’ full-service veterinary hospital in 2007.

In 2009, she was selected to oversee the OHS Investigations Department. Since Linda took over management of the Investigations Department, the department has expanded its geographical response area, transitioned to a commission partnership with Oregon State Police, implemented a certification program for emergency response volunteers, and hosted an annual training program known as ‘Victim to Verdict’ for industry professionals. In 2012, Linda became one of only two Certified Animal Welfare Administrators in the state of Oregon. Linda currently oversees the operations of the shelter medicine program at OHS in addition to the humane investigations department.

Jake Kamins is Oregon’s Animal Cruelty Deputy District Attorney (AC-DDA). As AC-DDA, Jake represents the State of Oregon in animal cruelty cases, trains law enforcement, veterinarians, and others in effective animal cruelty investigation and prosecution strategies, and raises media awareness on the issue of animal cruelty. To date, Jake has been appointed as a Deputy DA in 20 of Oregon’s 36 counties.

Jake worked at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office from 2009-2013. He received his BA in 2004 from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and his JD in 2009 from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. At Lewis & Clark, Jake was an Associate Editor of the Lewis & Clark Law Review. At Multnomah County, Jake developed a passion for working on Animal Cruelty cases. In 2012, he was named one of the nation’s Top 10 Animal Defenders for his work. He started work as AC-DDA in September 2013.

Steve MacKinnon joined the San Diego Humane Society in January 2014 as the Chief of Humane Law Enforcement. He leads the organization’s Humane Law, Field Service, Community Response and Animal Rescue Reserve divisions. MacKinnon’s extensive background in law enforcement includes serving with four different police agencies as Chief of Police as well as Deputy Chief, Police Supervisor and Police Officer in other agencies. Each of the municipal public safety agencies he led also included oversight of animal control operations.

Following a 30 year career in law enforcement, MacKinnon was assigned to the UN International Policing Task Force through the US Department of State. He worked closely with the Haiti and Kosovo National Police to teach US Democratic Standards and implement policies to address dysfunctional criminal justice systems. During his time in Haiti, MacKinnon also worked with Humane Society International to help the overwhelming number of street dogs that were left homeless after the 2010 earthquake.

MacKinnon holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and is a National FBI Academy graduate. MacKinnon also serves on the National Law Enforcement Council through The Humane Society of the United States.

James Orchard is a recently retired crime scene specialist formally with the Tucson Police Department in Arizona. He received training from the United States Air Force on basic photography, advanced photography, photojournalism, and color photography. He is trained on fingerprint comparison, fire debris evidence collection, and crime scene photography from the Tucson Police Department. Additionally, James has completed courses focused on bloodstain documentation, crashzone scene mapping, and fingerprint identification.

Dr. Kris Otteman brings 32 years of veterinary and leadership experience to her current role as OHS Vice President of Shelter Medicine and Operations. She is also a courtesy faculty member for Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine. As a member of the senior leadership team at OHS for ten years she is responsible for overall Shelter Operations, Medical Services and Humane Investigations. The OHS Animal Medical Learning Center, the nation’s first shelter teaching hospital, cares for over 11,000 shelter pets annually, provides over 5,000 low income spay neuter and wellness services and houses a comprehensive veterinary forensic team posed to provide onsite or field services.

As a co-founder of Banfield, The Pet Hospital, and her background also includes seven years in a mixed animal practice in southern Oregon. Her broad experience at Banfield included executive leadership and management as well as a strategic partnership with PetSmart Charities on national fundraising and adoption initiatives. She has served on the board for Cat Adoption Team, as a trustee of Banfield Charitable Trust, and has been a member of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Licensing Board. Dr. Otteman is a Charter Member of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association, served on the National Shelter Medicine Organizing committee, and most recently was awarded the OSU/CVM Alumni Fellow award for her work in the profession that has advanced and improved veterinary education and the partnerships between animal welfare and veterinary professionals. Dr. Otteman is also a member of the OVMA, AAHA, AVMA and the PVMA, ASV.

A native to the Pacific Northwest, Dr. O lives in Washington with her family, both two and four-legged!

John Sherman is a Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture. He has been with USDA-OIG since 2005.  He is responsible for conducting criminal investigations pertaining to fraud, waste, and abuse in connection with programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) including, enforcement of 7 U.S.C. § 2156, related to Animal Fighting.

He has attended the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and received additional training in financial investigations from FLETC. He has additional training in interviews and interrogations, covert electronic surveillance, and other law enforcement skills from a variety of federal, local and state law enforcement entities. He has previously served as a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). He has previously worked as an Intelligence Research Specialist for the Drug Enforcement Administration, a Correctional Officer for the State of Oregon, and a Reserve Deputy for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.

Sue Skinner, MD is the Interim Medical Clinic Director at the Children’s Center of Clackamas County, and has been working in the field of child abuse and neglect for 21 years. She is board certified in both general pediatrics and child abuse pediatrics, and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Oregon Pediatric Society & the Oregon Medical Association. Dr. Skinner has lectured both locally and nationally on various issues related to child abuse, she has also assisted in the development of guidelines and training modules for medical providers in the state of Oregon. She has a particular interest in physical abuse of school-aged children, physical and environmental neglect, drug endangered children & the medical evaluation of adolescents.