Episode 325: Sex on Trial – Tales of an Expert Witness
September 6, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex educators and researchers are often called upon to serve as expert witnesses in legal proceedings. This is particularly true in cases that center around kink or BDSM, consensual non-monogamy, and sexual or gender minorities. The job of the experts is to help judges and juries better understand the sexual issues at hand. In today’s show, I’m going to interview a colleague who has extensive experience serving as an expert witness. We’re going to talk about the some of the cases she’s been a part of, what the experience is like, and more.
My guest is Dr. Elisabeth Sheff, a researcher, expert witness, coach, speaker, and educational consultant. Dr. Eli holds a PhD in Sociology and certification as a Sexuality Educator from AASECT. She has published four books, over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters, and is currently editing a series of books on relationship and sexual diversity.
Some of the specific questions we answer in this episode include:
- How do you decide which legal cases to get involved in?
- What are some reasons why you might not take a particular case?
- What kinds of legal issues come up for non-monogamous individuals that would require an expert witness?
- What are some of the legal issues that come up in the context of kink and BDSM?
- Given that consent is not a valid legal defense for injuries that arise during sex, what do kinky folks need to know with respect to avoiding potential legal peril?
You can visit Dr. Eli’s website to learn more about her work.
Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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