This is a 50 page UBC Law Review narrative on the inadequacies of courts to recognize junk “forensic” experts. Battling Canadian bitemarkers leave a trail of exaggerated claims and criminal case law that is blind to scientific principles.
Forensics: Rules regarding federal statute on cop shootings needs a redo. George Floyd, et al.
A new federal grand jury has been empaneled in Minneapolis and the Justice Department has called new witnesses as part of its investigation of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who will go on trial in state court next month on a murder charge for the death of George Floyd, according to two people with direct knowledge of the investigation. The fresh slate of witnesses subpoenaed to give testimony about Mr. Chauvin is an early sign that…
— Read on www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/george-floyds-death-with-new-grand-jury-doj-ramps-up-investigation/ar-BB1dWOYd
Forensics: Reusing old anti-vax tropes. Lipid nanoparticles: The antivax “toxins gambit” reborn for COVID-19 vaccines
Starts off with a little molecular -biology. Remember those classes? Ribosomes, aminos, mRNA, protein synthesis? Then go into the bat-shit mumbo-jumbo of the anti-vax quacks. Stuff like “neuro-toxicity” and “gene splicing” drivel. Junk science popularized just like the bitemark crowd praising their “science.”
Lipid nanoparticles are the new “toxins” in COVID-19 vaccines that cause imaginary horrible things antivaxxers fear monger about
— Read on respectfulinsolence.com/2021/02/22/lipid-nanoparticles-the-antivax-toxins-gambit-reborn-for-covid-19-vaccines/
Forensics: Biden’s Science Adviser Pick Could Advance Justice Reforms – Law360
This article portrays all the many players involved in both promoting and inhibiting evidence-based advances in certain forensic methods. It mentions bitemark evidence and the racial inequities of bad science on POC seeking exonerations. This arguing about junk forensic science has been going on since NAS 2009 and then reinforced by PCAST in 2016. Eric Landers is on his way to a WH cabinet-level job. The WH DOJ Attorney General nominee, Merrick Garland, will certainly help us recover from the forensic obstinacy of Sessions, Lynch and Barr.
Eric Lander is one of the best-known genetic scientists in the United States and a figurehead for improved forensic science practices across the criminal justice system. Experts, including several whose work intersected with his, weigh in on what his anticipated cabinet-level appointment could mean for these priorities.
— Read on www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/1356820/biden-s-science-adviser-pick-could-advance-justice-reforms
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bad Forensic Science, Bite Marks, Bitemarks, Civil rights, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice reform, CSI, Exoneration costs, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, junk forensic science, police crime labs
Tagged Eric Landers, innocence project
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Forensics: Full of false equivalencies. Op-ed claims ‘The face of hysteria: New York must preserve facial recognition as a tool for law enforcement ‘ – New York Daily News
Terrific example of “use it and fix it later.” Ive heard the same about phrenology and bitemarks as recently presented at #AAFS2021.
Here is how the NYPD manipulates video evidence. Ridiculous. The op-ed is below these images.
The Minneapolis City Council, joining Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, Oakland and other localities, has banned its police department from using facial recognition technology — which would mean, when witnesses or security cameras there capture people red-handed, cops can no longer run those images through computer software to see if they get a match to mugshot or driver’s license databases.
— Read on www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-edit-the-face-of-hysteria-20210216-ictefihqp5cgboz2xhrn7jmjbi-story.html
Forensics: Cognitive bias in forensic pathology decisions – Journal of Forensic Sciences
This study determined a group of National Association of Medical Examiner pathologists have a predilection to determine death of black children 5x more likely as homicide compared to dead white kids. NAME also takes the position that the ABFO bitemarker group should be the only odontologists hired for dental identification. They ding their accredited ME/Coroner membership for non-compliance. Both biases are unacceptable..
Cognitive bias in forensic pathology decisions – Dror – – Journal of Forensic Sciences – Wiley Online Library
— Read on onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1556-4029.14697
In a 2017 study, similar research of ME attitudes revealed strong feelings of infallibility, a resistance to blind-testing of theories, and deniability of personal bias. The paper applied phrase “bias blind spot” which the MEs acknowledge bias in others but not themselves.
Cognitive bias and blindness: A global survey of forensic science examiners.
Ouch.
Forensics: Sentenced to death, but innocent: These are stories of justice gone wrong. National Geographic @The_AAFS
In depth discussion and interviews. Includes Ray Krone who was put on death row by AAFS/ABFO bite dentist, Ray Rawson. The DA in his case spent $50K for the dental expert. The defense got $1500. Ray’s family petitioned the ABFO to review Rawson’s opinion. The ABFO refused. Rawson was a past ABFO president.
Since 1973, more than 8,700 people in the U.S. have been sent to death row. At least 182 weren’t guilty—their lives upended by a system that nearly killed them.
— Read on www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/sentenced-to-death-but-innocent-these-are-stories-of-justice-gone-wrong
Foolensics: Fauci unloads on Anti-Science Trump: ‘He did things that were terrible’ when I contradicted him – Raw Story
This is not a pun. Fools have been in charge for years. They never had a clue. False promises and lies. People died.
Dr. Anthony Fauci unloaded on former President Donald Trump in an interview with the UK newspaper The Telegraph.Throughout the interview, Fauci recounted how his former boss would routinely take bad advice on how to handle of the novel coronavirus pandemic and would act out whenever anyone with expe…
— Read on www.rawstory.com/trump-fauci/
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, junk forensic science, Mass Disaster recovery, Medical errors
Tagged pandemic incompetence
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Forensics: Missing girl’s body found on Crow Reservation | Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Indigenous female murder rates are spiking. Little mentioned in major media. Unacceptable.
Missing girl’s body found on Crow Reservation | Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women | billingsgazette.com
— Read on billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/mmiw/missing-girls-body-found-on-crow-reservation/article_2674ccb0-3cf2-58b2-8f62-64f8a25be3e9.amp.html
Posted in AAFS, Crime, criminal justice, US homicide statistics analysis
Tagged indigenous murder rates
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Frensics: Anthro: ‘Rare’ Roman penis carving found in Cambridgeshire
Id say impressive.
‘Rare’ Roman penis carving found in Cambridgeshire – BBC News
— Read on www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-cambridgeshire-56113457
Forensics: Covid deniers in Florida. Authorities: Men posed as US marshals to avoid wearing masks
Stupid seems to run in this family.
Investigators learned the men had never been employed as U.S. marshals or by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
— Read on www.wapt.com/article/authorities-men-posed-as-us-marshals-to-avoid-wearing-masks/35552641
