TrialTech Principals

Sanford H. Marks
President

Sanford H. Marks is President of TrialTech, Inc. As a nationally recognized consultant, he provides attorneys with affordable innovations in litigation research and trial preparation.  His practice encompasses the areas of civil plaintiff, civil defense and criminal defense.  The services he provides include:  case analysis, trial strategy, change of venue surveys, community attitude studies, coordination and production of demonstrative exhibits, focus groups, mock trials, voir dire strategy, jury selection, witness preparation, in-court observation, shadow juries and post trial juror interviews.

He is a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and Association of Trial Lawyers of America.  Additionally, he is a frequent lecturer on jury selection and other related issues to legal associations throughout the country.  Mr. Marks also served as an NBC News consultant for the O.J. Simpson trial and continually serves as an on-air expert for NBC, ABC, Court TV, CNN and many local television stations.

Judith Platania, Ph.D.
Director of Research

Judith Platania received her Ph.D. in Legal Psychology from Florida International University in 1995. Judy is a member of the American Psychology-Law Society, Eastern Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. In addition to her work at TrialTech, Inc. for the last 15 years, she is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. She has served as an expert panel reviewer of AP-LS conference submissions in the area of jury decision-making. Her published research appears in the journal of Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice and Law and Human Behavior, and addresses issues related to expert testimony, improper prosecutor argument, and instruction comprehension.

Cintia Calevoso, Esquire
Senior Research Associate

Cintia Calevoso recently graduated from Nova Southeastern University Law School and joined TrialTech as a senior associate.  During her time at Nova, Ms. Calevoso was the Bilingual Edition Editor for the ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law.  She was recently admitted to the Florida Bar.  She is also a member of the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Dade County Bar Association, and the Broward County Bar Association. Ms. Calevoso received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University in 2007.  It is her interest in psychology that gave way to Ms. Calevoso pursuing a position with TrialTech.

In addition to her academic achievements, Ms. Calevoso has always been passionate about music and the arts.  She has been a flautist from a very young age and her musical abilities have made her well known and regarded in the South Florida community.  She has had the opportunity to perform with numerous orchestral and chamber ensembles.  For many years, Ms. Calevoso performed with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and has performed in such acclaimed productions as Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Puccini’s La Boheme.

Jenna Kieckhaefer, M.S.
Research Associate

Jenna Kieckhaefer has been working for TrialTech as a research associate for the last several years. Ms. Kieckhaefer receivedher Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Criminology from the University of California, Irvine, in 2008 and her Master’s degree studying memory conformity.  She is currently working towards earning her PhD in legal psychology at Florida International University.  During her time at FIU, Ms. Kieckhaefer has conducted several experimental studies examining the effectiveness of certain interviewing techniques on eyewitness accuracy and the impact of police lineup instructions on accuracy.  She also has experience aiding expert witness consultations in child witness cases and is currently a member of the American Psychology and Law Society. While an undergraduate, she was selected for two prestigious internships including one with Interpol (the world’s largest international police organization) and the other with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.  Ms. Kieckhaefer’s interest in applying psychology to the criminal justice system led her to pursue a trial consulting position with TrialTech.

Kelly Lawson, M.S.
Research Associate

Kelly Lawson has been associated with TrialTech since November 2008.  She studied Psychology and Criminal Justice at Morgan State University and earned her Master’s in Legal Psychology at Florida International University where she specialized in jurors’ perceptions of informant testimony.  Currently, she is completing her doctorate in Legal Psychology at FIU.  Ms. Lawson has conducted research on juror decision-making in areas such as the death penalty, stalking and forensic evidence.  Additionally, she teaches undergraduate courses focusing on the interaction between psychology and law.  She is also a member of the American Psychology and Law Society.