INVESTIGATIVE SPOTLIGHT Keep It Simple at Depositions questions asked of you with a direct answer: “Yes,” “No,” “I do not know” and “Not that I recall” are the standard responses. Never ad-lib, and always tell the truth! I cannot stress that enough: Always tell the truth. Each attorney has his or her shot at you, and each will ask the same questions in a I different manner to see how you answer. You can never go wrong with the truth. The deposition lasted 2½ hours, and my minimum charge for depositions is four hours, so that is what I will invoice them. I predict these types of depositions will be the norm in the future because they are cost effective, as no travel and lodging are needed. Choose ALOA’s New President If you have not voted for the new president of ALOA SPAI, you only have a few days to sign in and make your choice between two excellent candidates. I have known both men for 20-plus years, and either one will drive ALOA into the future. I brought Noel Flynn onto the board when I became president in 2012 because he has a lot of corporate training and management skills we needed as we cleaned up the debt load and got back on track. Bill Mandlebaum, the other candidate, has been on the board for nine years as the Northeast Director, and he is a workhorse. Bill heads up the membership commit- tee and is a one-man wrecking crew when it comes to keeping the scammers out of ALOA. Bill is a shop owner with one employee who has always stepped up when Bill was tied up doing ALOA’s bidding. I suggest you listen to the ALOA podcast to form your own opinion about these two great men. 2021 ALOA Convention & Security Expo The ALOA convention in Orlando will be a new awakening for our industry. There will be classes and hands-on events for everyone in the forensic field. Whatever your forensic specialty is, make sure you have the latest knowledge so you can be the best in your chosen field. I cannot stress how important education is to a forensic investigator. Keep in mind that your local community college offers criminal justice courses, and a lot of these will help you qualify to take the Certified Forensic Locksmith (CFL) exam. WWW.ALOA.ORG stated in my previous page that I would fill you in on a Zoom deposition. I finished it this morning, and to say it was interesting would be putting it mildly. It was OK and went on for about 2½ hours. There were three attorneys present plus the court recorder. I want to remind everyone who has not yet given a deposition that it’s not a gab session. Answer the Courses that transfer to IAIL require- ments are: Evidence Handling, Evidence Report Writing, Crime Scene Inspection and Forensic Photography. If you aren’t sure about a course, contact me directly with a copy of the syllabus to be reviewed. A special thank you to Jim Hancock for keeping education flowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim immediately moved training online via Zoom to keep education available to our members and teamed up with great distributors for vir- tual trade shows. On top of that, ALOA sold its building, and Jim oversaw the re- location to the new leased space. I don’t know where he gets his energy, but I want a couple of employees just like him! If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please contact me directly at [email protected]. Tom Resciniti Demont, AHC, CAI, CFDI, CFL, CMIL, CML, CMST, ICML, IFDI, LSFDI, ARL. President, In- ternational Association of Investigative Locksmiths. [email protected] Get Published! IAIL members: Submit your articles for the Investigative Spotlight department. Send your information to Ross Squire at [email protected]. JUNE 2021 KEYNOTES 11
