Criminal Law Specialty Expert Witnesses: 3

Seth Goldstein, is an attorney representing parents and children in family violence cases for 23 years. His practice uses the successful multi-disciplinary prosecution model bringing to a case the special expertise of various professionals involved. Since 1994, he has been the Executive Director of the Child Abuse Forensic Institute, a non-profit resource and referral organization he created using the same approach handling child abuse based in Monterey, California. When working for the district attorney in Napa County, his program achieved a 96.5% conviction rate, at charging, charging 75% of the cases brought to the program. He currently sits as an advisory board member for the Family Violence Appeals Project, Oakland, California, that has had an amassed an unprecedented 85% success rate in its appeals.

Mr. Goldstein has worked as a consultant for the State of California on the subject of response to domestic violence; the National Counsel of Juvenile and Family Court Judges on family violence, a law enforcement investigator specializing in the investigations of Sexual Assault, Child Physical and Sexual Abuse, and Family Violence for the Berkeley Police Department, the Santa Clara and Napa County District Attorney’s Offices. He has testified as an expert witness in Criminal, Civil, Juvenile Dependency and Family Law courts in California and other states on these subjects. He has written and been published on the topics of family violence and child abuse in various national journals, publications. His book on investigating child sexual abuse by Seth Goldstein is in its second edition.

Expertise: Analysis and testimony on the dynamics of child sexual abuse and domestic violence. Consultation and assistance in search for evidence, preparing for and executing trial strategies.

Experience: 41 years working in the field of interpersonal violence, child abuse, and domestic violence as frontline investigator, district attorney investigator, Project Director of Child Abuse Prosecution Program, expert witness, consultant and attorney in same fields.

Education/Training: Police Academy, 1973; Minor in Psychology/Sociology, SFSU, 100's hours of specialized training in psychological dynamics of interpersonal violence, child abuse and domestic violence, court qualified expert in several states on sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, police procedures in investigating these matters. Attorney for 23 years representing parties and children in these matters in civil, criminal and juvenile courts.

Degrees/Certifications: BA, Rhetoric, 1977, U.C., Berkeley JD, Oakland College of Law, 1993

Awards/Honors: ABA Gavel Award, 1980; Officer of the Year, California State Juvenile Officer's Assn, 1990; Top Attorneys of America, 2018-2019, Who's Who Directories.

View Seth Goldstein's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Heather L. Manning is recognized Forensic Criminologist and Subject Matter Expert specializing in violent crime, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and human trafficking. With nearly two decades of experience spanning academia, clinical practice, child welfare, corrections, and law enforcement collaboration, Dr. Manning brings a rare interdisciplinary perspective to the analysis, investigation, and prevention of complex criminal behavior.

Dr. Manning holds a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology and has extensive expertise in criminal profiling, behavioral analysis, forensic interviewing, and trauma-informed investigative practices. She currently serves as a Professor and Subject Matter Expert at Evidentia University, where she teaches graduate-level courses in criminal profiling, psychological profiling, and behavioral analysis grounded in FBI-aligned methodologies. Her academic work emphasizes offender typologies, victimology, and the behavioral dynamics of violent and sexually motivated crimes. She also works as a cold case investigator and a research IRB board member.

Litigation Support - Providing expert witness consultation and testimony in legal proceedings. Services include case review and expert opinion development, written expert reports, deposition preparation and testimony, trial testimony, and consultation on behavioral evidence, offender dynamics, victim behavior, and trauma impact.

Areas of Expertise

An active scholar and author, Dr. Manning’s research and publications focus on sexual violence, offender behavior, trauma, and systemic failures in protection and response. Her work includes peer-reviewed research, professional conference presentations, and authored books addressing serial violence and survivor experiences.

Dr. Manning is a member of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Sciences, and the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology. She is widely respected for her ability to bridge clinical insight, academic rigor, and real-world investigative application—advancing justice, victim-centered practice, and professional excellence across forensic and behavioral disciplines.

View Heather Manning's Consulting Profile.

Thomas “Tommy” Davenport, Jr., Esq., is a Martial Arts Practitioner with decades of practical experience and ongoing study in both the applied and theoretical dimensions of Self Defense and Physical Conflict. He holds a black belt in Taekwondo and a black sash in 7 Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and he is a former world champion in martial arts combat.

In addition to his martial arts background, Tommy is a practicing attorney and professor of law. This combination of experience uniquely positions him to evaluate self-defense and hand-to-hand combat matters through both a practical combative lens and the applicable legal doctrines that often shape such cases.

Areas of Expertise:

Litigation Support - As an expert in martial arts and self-defense, Tommy provides consulting and testimonial services in matters involving self-defense and physical confrontation. As a consultant, he assists attorneys and litigants in understanding the actions at issue, evaluating the conduct involved, and preparing to clearly and effectively present the relevant facts in deposition or court. 

Tommy assists attorneys, litigants, and triers of fact in understanding issues such as threat assessment, the mechanics of confrontation and physical altercations, justification of force, and the neutralization of threats. His analysis may include a thorough review of reports, records, medical documentation, interviews, and qualitative video evidence in order to provide a detailed and reliable assessment.