Law Enforcement Expert Witness
For the questions only a cop can answer
Christine Burke is a former police sergeant, major case detective and court-qualified expert witness. She examines police policy, procedure and culture — and applies forensic genetic genealogy — for criminal defense, prosecution, personal injury and Section 1983 civil litigation across the United States.
The State brings the full weight of law enforcement to every case — the defense deserves an expert who knows that system from the inside.
Criminal Defense Police Practices Consulting
A consulting expert for the defense of a police investigation
Christine Burke can be retained by criminal-defense counsel as a consulting expert to independently review police investigations, law-enforcement practices, and the relevant discovery in a case. As a former police sergeant and major-case detective with criminal-defense investigative experience since 2008 — including service as a contract defense investigator for the Maricopa County Office of Public Defense Services — she brings an inside understanding of police policy, procedure, and culture to the defense file.
Consulting work can occur without a testifying engagement. Counsel may obtain independent review and analysis of the police investigation before deciding whether expert testimony is needed. Testifying expert witness services remain available when counsel determines they are required.
Christine provides factual, investigative, law-enforcement-practices, and professional analysis for counsel’s evaluation and strategy. She does not provide legal advice or make legal conclusions. Whether a search, arrest, warrant, or police action was constitutional or unconstitutional is a legal determination for counsel and the court.
What I Review
What I Review in a Criminal Defense Case
The scope of review depends on the issues and materials involved in the particular case. Not every case contains all of the materials listed below; review is tailored to what counsel needs and what the record provides.
- Police reports and supplemental reports
- Probable-cause affidavits
- Body-worn camera footage
- Dash-camera footage
- CAD and dispatch records
- Radio traffic
- Witness and suspect interviews
- Photographs and video
- Search-warrant materials
- Evidence collection and documentation records
- Agency policies and procedures
- Investigative timelines
- Relevant discovery
- Documentation of investigative decisions and follow-up
Methodology
How I Review a Police Investigation
A structured, repeatable review that produces factual and investigative findings for counsel’s legal and strategic evaluation — not legal conclusions.
- 01
Establish the investigative chronology
Build a clear timeline of officer actions, reports, communications, and evidence handling from the available record.
- 02
Reconcile reports against source evidence
Compare police reports and narratives against available source evidence such as body-worn camera footage, dash-camera footage, radio traffic, and CAD records.
- 03
Compare actions with policy and practice
Measure documented officer actions against applicable agency policy, training, and generally accepted police practices where appropriate.
- 04
Identify inconsistencies and gaps
Identify factual inconsistencies, documentation gaps, investigative gaps, and unresolved investigative questions.
- 05
Identify additional records or evidence
Identify additional records, evidence, or information that may help clarify the issues identified during review.
- 06
Provide findings and analysis for counsel
Provide factual, investigative, and police-practices findings and analysis for counsel’s legal and strategic evaluation.
Expertise areas
What gets examined for counsel
Every engagement starts with the record — policy, reports, radio traffic, and footage — measured against generally accepted police practices and the agency’s own written directives.
- Patrol procedure
- Use of force
- Report writing & MDT
- Dispatch & radio traffic
- Body-worn camera review
- Cold case detective work
- Narcotics & vice operations
- Officer supervision
- Section 1983 civil rights
- Forensic genetic genealogy
- Unidentified remains
- Investigative genetic genealogy policy
Specializations
Two specializations, one standard of proof
Police policy, procedure & culture
Initial patrol response, detective and cold case investigations, narcotics, vice and white collar assignments, officer supervision, and officer communications including report writing, MDT, dispatch and over-the-air radio traffic.
Forensic genetic genealogy
Founder and lead instructor of Genetic Genealogy For Law Enforcement®. Investigative genetic genealogy methodology, database terms of service, consent and privacy issues, lead development and the identification of unknown suspects and deceased persons.
Explore this practice- 35+
- Years in law enforcement & investigations
- Global
- Client reach worldwide
- 1988
- First sworn as a police officer
- MA
- Organizational Management
Retained for
A police perspective, applied to your case file
Christine Burke is retained as both a consulting expert and a testifying expert witness. In criminal-defense matters, consulting work is given greater prominence because testimony is not required for every engagement.
Criminal defense
Review of the underlying police investigation itself — investigative chronology, police reports, body-worn camera, CAD and dispatch records, evidence documentation, and investigative decisions — measured against agency policy, training, and generally accepted police practices. Charging decisions, arrest and probable cause review, discovery gap analysis, identification of inconsistencies between reports and source evidence, deposition and cross-examination preparation, and trial testimony.
Prosecution & civil defense
Neutral review of officer conduct, training and supervision against agency policy and generally accepted police practices.
Section 1983 civil rights
Use of force, unlawful detention, failure to supervise or train, and municipal liability standards.
Cold cases & unidentified remains
Forensic genetic genealogy strategy, investigative lead review, and testimony on methodology and its limits.
Credentials at a glance
From sworn officer to court-qualified expert
- 1986
Sworn law enforcement career begins — Stuart PD reserve officer.
- 1988–1996
Jupiter Police Department: patrol officer, major case detective, sergeant.
- 2008
Founds Strategic Intelligence Services PLLC — criminal defense investigations begin for private clients.
- 2015
Lead instructor, ContinuingEducationAndTraining.com.
- 2017–2021
Contract Defense Investigator, Maricopa County Office of Public Defense Services.
- 2019
Begins court-qualified expert witness practice.
- 2021
Genetic Genealogy For Law Enforcement® — a service and training based business.
- Present
Serving clients across the United States and globally.
Frequently asked questions
Criminal defense police practices consulting — FAQ
What does a police practices consultant review in a criminal defense case?
A police practices consultant reviews the law-enforcement record in a case — police reports, probable-cause affidavits, body-worn and dash-camera footage, CAD and dispatch records, radio traffic, interviews, photographs, search-warrant materials, evidence documentation, agency policies, and investigative timelines. The scope depends on the issues and materials in the particular case. The consultant provides factual, investigative, and police-practices analysis for counsel’s evaluation and strategy, not legal conclusions.
When should a criminal defense attorney retain a police practices consulting expert?
Early. Engaging a consulting expert during discovery and pre-trial investigation allows inconsistencies, documentation gaps, and unresolved investigative questions to be identified while there is still time to seek additional records or evidence. Consulting work can begin without a testifying engagement, so counsel can evaluate the strength of the issues before deciding whether expert testimony is needed.
Can you review body-worn camera footage and police reports for inconsistencies?
Yes. Reconciling police reports and narratives against available source evidence — including body-worn camera footage, dash-camera footage, radio traffic, and CAD records — is a core part of the review. The goal is to identify factual inconsistencies, documentation gaps, and investigative questions that may affect counsel’s evaluation of the case.
Can you review an investigation without serving as a testifying expert?
Yes. Christine Burke provides consulting-expert services in criminal-defense matters, and a testifying engagement is not required for every case. Consulting work allows counsel to obtain independent review and analysis of the police investigation without committing to disclosure of a testifying expert. Testifying expert witness services remain available when counsel determines they are needed.
What records are useful for a police practices review?
Useful records include police and supplemental reports, probable-cause affidavits, body-worn and dash-camera footage, CAD and dispatch records, radio traffic, witness and suspect interviews, photographs and video, search-warrant materials, evidence collection and documentation records, agency policies and procedures, investigative timelines, and relevant discovery. Not every case contains all of these materials.
What is the difference between a consulting expert and a testifying expert?
A consulting expert provides behind-the-scenes review, analysis, and guidance to counsel and is generally not disclosed as a witness. A testifying expert provides opinions that may be presented in court and is subject to disclosure and cross-examination. Christine Burke provides both, with consulting-expert work given greater prominence in criminal-defense matters because testimony is not required for every engagement.
Can you review search-warrant execution and related police procedures?
Yes. Review can include search-warrant materials, the execution of the warrant, and related police procedures measured against agency policy, training, and generally accepted police practices. The analysis addresses the factual and investigative dimensions of the police action; whether a search, arrest, or warrant was legally constitutional or unconstitutional is a legal determination for counsel and the court.
Do you work with criminal defense attorneys outside Arizona?
Yes. Strategic Intelligence Services serves clients across the United States and globally, and Christine Burke provides consulting and expert witness services to criminal-defense counsel outside Arizona. The firm is based in the Phoenix metropolitan area and works with attorneys wherever the engagement requires.
Have a case that needs a cop’s perspective?
Send the basics and Christine Burke will follow up to discuss scope, retainer, and turnaround. Consulting and testifying engagements are both available.