Yonovitz & Joe, L.L.P., a registered partnership based in Dallas, Texas, is a team of forensic tape analysts, experts and consultants. We have been forensic audio/video experts for over 48 combined years. Our diverse legal, forensic, academic, and clinical experience includes scientifically objective, verifiable and generally-accepted analyses of all aspects of tape-recorded evidence, including but not limited to the forensic authenticity analyses of tape-recorded evidence, voice/speaker identification or elimination via aural-spectrography, digital enhancement of audio or video tapes, transcription development and verification, etc. We have been retained in hundreds of cases involving thousands of recordings throughout North America and have testified in state and Federal courts in civil and criminal matters. Representative clients include Steptoe & Johnson (Wash., D.C.), Shearman & Sterling (NYC), Ford & Harrison (Memphis), Rawle & Henderson (Philadelphia), McAfee & Taft (OKC), Bracewell & Patterson (Houston), Akin Gump (San Antonio), Haynes & Boone (Houston), Vinson & Elkins (Dallas), Jenkens & Gilchrist (Dallas), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Motorola Corp., BankOne, BlueCross BlueShield, Shell Oil Co., United Parcel Service, Inc., Shell Texaco & Saudi Refineries, Inc., Reliant Energy, 7-Eleven, Inc., Evercom Systems, Inc., City of Austin, City of Galveston, Plano (TX) and Akron (OH) Police Depts., Dallas, Harris (TX), Tarrant (TX), Tulsa (OK) and Summit (OH) County DA’s Offices, Houston, Little Rock, Green County (PA), New Mexico, Oklahoma and New Jersey Public Defender’s Offices, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, the Associated Press (AP), ABC, BBC, FOX-TV, etc. Our methodology utilized in the forensic authenticity analyses of tape-recorded evidence has overcome the only two Daubert challenges that we have come across.
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: B.S., Audiology, Kent State University, 1969 (Yonovitz);
M.A., Audiology, University of Connecticut, 1972 (Yonovitz);
Ph.D., Acoustics, University of Connecticut, 1973 (Yonovitz);
B.S., Biology, Baylor University, 1983 (Joe);
M.A., Biology, Southern Methodist University, 1986 (Joe);
J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1993 (Joe);
LL.M., Regent University School of Law, 2003 (Joe);
Member, State Bars of Texas and Oklahoma (Joe);
Member, Evidence Code Committee, Oklahoma Bar Assoc. (Joe);
Registered Patent Attorney, USPTO, CIPO (Joe);
Board Certified Forensic Audio/Video Examiner (Joe);
Licensed Instructor, Texas Board of Private Investigators (Joe);
Board of Legal Advisors, American Guild of Court Videographers (Joe);
Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Examiners (Joe);
Diplomate, American Board of Law Enforcement Experts (Joe);
Fellow, American Guild of Court Videographers (Joe);
Fellow, American College of Forensic Examiners (Joe).
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: Joe:
State Bars of Texas and Oklahoma
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
American College of Forensic Examiners
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: Professor Yonovitzís 30+ years of teaching include appointments at the Speech and Hearing Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Public Health at the Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, Houston; Baylor College of Medicine; Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the Univ. of Houston; Conley Speech and Hearing Center, Univ. of Maine; consultant to the VA Hospital; Director of the Electronic Prosthesis Laboratory, Mansfield Training School; former committee member of certification standards of the International Association of Identification (IAI); > 100 publications/paper presentations, > 25 grants.
Speaking invitations include the 2002, 15th Annual Criminal Litigation Seminar, the 2003 annual convention of the American Speech & Hearing Association, the 2nd Annual Texas Forensic Seminar, the 26th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, and the 2005 Cener for International Legal Studies. All topics concerned various aspects of tape-recorded evidence.
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No.
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: Hundreds of times in our 48-combined years' involvement in the area of forensic audio/video.
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: All aspects of forensic audio-video in civil and criminal cases in state and Federal courts throughout North America, including cases involving noise, sounds, linguistics, acoustics and hearing.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
A: Approximately 50%.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
A: Approximately 50% (in both civil and cirminal cases).
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: Many.
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: Many.
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: Many.
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: Approximately 30 for Dr. Yonovitz and approximately 18 for Mr. Joe.
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: Forensic audio and video tape-recorded analysts, experts and consultants for all aspects of tape-recorded evidence. See resume for additional forensic services.
References
YONOVITZ & JOE, L.L.P. has been retained in thousands of cases involving thousands of recordings throughout North America, Australia and the U.K., and have testified in state and federal courts in criminal and civil cases throughout the U.S.Representative clients include Steptoe & Johnson (Wash., D.C.), Shearman & Sterling (NYC), Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (NYC), Armstrong Teasdale (Kansas City), Ford & Harrison (Memphis), Rawle & Henderson (Philadelphia), McAfee & Taft (OKC), Bracewell & Patterson (Houston), Akin Gump (San Antonio), Jones Day (Dallas), Haynes & Boone (Houston), Vinson & Elkins (Dallas), Jenkens & Gilchrist (Dallas), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Motorola Corp., BankOne, BlueCross BlueShield, Shell Oil Co., United Parcel Service, Inc., Shell Texaco & Saudi Refineries, Inc., Reliant Energy, 7-Eleven, Inc., Evercom Systems, Inc., Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, City of Austin, City of Galveston, Plano (TX) and Akron (OH) Police Depts., Dallas, Tulsa (OK), Harris (TX), Fulton (GA) and Summit (OH) County DA’s Offices, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Attorney’s Office, Houston, Little Rock, Green County (PA), New Mexico, and New Jersey Public Defender’s Offices, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, the Associated Press (AP), ABC, BBC, FOX-TV, etc. High profile cases include the Branch Davidian case, and recent speaking engagements include the 2002, 15th Annual Criminal Litigation Seminar, the 2003 annual convention of the American Speech & Hearing Association, the 2004 26th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, the 2005 annual conference of the Center for International Legal Studies, the 2005 3rd Annual Forensics Seminar, and the 2006 4th Annual Forensics Seminar.
