So, This Is Where You Think I Need to Be: How Abusers Use Jail Calls to Manipulate Victims
Webinar Session
November 12, 2026, from 9:00 am–10:30 am
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the webinar, “So, This is Where You Think I Need to Be: How Abusers Use Jail Calls to Manipulate Victims."
Session Description:
This presentation examines ways that child abusers communicate from jail to intimidate or manipulate their victims or non-offending caregivers into recanting or changing their testimony of abuse. It proposes strategies for obtaining recordings of jail calls and other communications and using them as evidence of consciousness of guilt and as a foundation for the Forfeiture by Wrongdoing hearsay exception.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn methods of obtaining and using abuse defendants’ jail calls and other communications as evidence in court.
- Recognize signs of witness tampering and intimidation to develop strategies for overcoming them.
- Understand the Forfeiture by Wrongdoing hearsay exception and look for opportunities to use it effectively to advance a prosecution.
Participant Registration and Cost:
This training series is free. Participants need to register in advance for the training. Please visit here to register.
Presenters:
Michael R. Galantino served for 30 years in the Delaware County (PA) District Attorney’s Office, including 21 years as Deputy District Attorney and Chief of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Division. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from West Chester University and a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law.
Mr. Galantino began his career with the DA’s Office in 1989, prosecuting a wide range of cases over the next nine years. In 1998, he was appointed Chief of the newly formed Special Victims Unit, where he focused on child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and internet crimes against children. Over the course of his career, he prosecuted thousands of cases and tried more than 140 jury trials to verdict.
He also served three years as Executive Director of the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators and two years as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at West Chester University. Mr. Galantino has provided training at the national, state, and local levels on topics including evidence, criminal law, search and seizure, child abuse, technology-facilitated offenses, ethics, and courtroom procedures.
For questions, please contact Tricia Everetts, DCJS Victims Services Training and Communication Coordinator, at tricia.everetts@dcjs.virginia.gov.