Monthly Archives: February 2015

$9.2 Million Awarded in Wrongful Conviction that Underscores FBI Forensic Problems

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
February 28, 2015 – Yesterday Washington D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz ordered $9.2 million be paid by the District to Kirk L. Odom, 52, in compensation for more than 21 years of…

Posted in costs of wrongful convictions, Exoneration costs, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Junk Science takes a hit from the Mississippi Supreme Court : Plus real and fake forensic research

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
Junk Science takes a hit from MS?? Incredible. Finally. There has been a very long forensic credibility battle in that state with its ex-non-certified pathologist at the epi-center.…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Forensics and Crim Law : Self deluded US Federal courts and Prosecutors still ignore Junk Science

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
There is no better judicial micro-climate than Mississippi to study the self-contradictory and illegitimate misuse of unvalidated forensic opinions in the US. This story describes dubious forensic sciences…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Faulty Forensic Science Failing US Court System – Op-Ed from Live Sciences

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
“Karen Kafadar is Commonwealth Professor and chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of Virginia and a member of the Forensic Science Standards Board. Anne-Marie Mazza…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Forensics: Homicide vs accident: spatter expert testifies opinion about amount of blood necessary to be a homicide vs a

Nothing is more confusing to a jury then when an expert admits on cross exam that the evidence she received from the cops and DA was less than optimal. Yet she still agrees with the DA. Beyond a reasonable doubt. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

US Supreme Court Justices speak publicly about Criminal Justice conditions and ineffectiveness

WASHINGTON—Two Supreme Court justices told a House subcommittee Monday that the American criminal-justice system is too harsh, locks up too many people for too long and does so at an ultimate cost to public safety. “This idea of total incarceration … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Faulty Forensic Science Failing US Court System – Op-Ed from Live Sciences

“Karen Kafadar is Commonwealth Professor and chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of Virginia and a member of the Forensic Science Standards Board. Anne-Marie Mazza is the director of the Committee on Science, Technology and Law of the … Continue reading

Posted in Forensic Science, junk forensic science, US Crime labs | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

AAFS 2015: News from its Board of Directors: The American Board of Forensic Odontology complaint opposing forensic reform is quashed

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
Radley Balko @radleybalko ·  Just in: The AAFS board of directors has dismissed the ethics complaint against csidds that I mentioned here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/02/13/how-the-flawed-science-of-bite-mark-analysis-has-sent-innocent-people-to-jail/ … My Comment: Much thanks to the…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Prosecutorial Misconduct and Brady Violations – From a Forensic Perspective

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
Dr. David Benjamin is a world renowned clinical pharmacologist and forensic toxicologist. Consequently, he has substantial experience involving forensic evidence and “expert” testimony. He recently gave a presentation at the American Academy of Forensic…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The “gut feeling basis of traditional forensic sciences” and “Quick Picks” from @wrongconvblog

The “gut” feeling in fingerprint matching ‘science?” “Gut feeling is responsible for a lot more of the accuracy than many people think, even the experts themselves,” says Dr Matthew Thompson of the University of Queensland School of Psychology” Great links from … Continue reading

Posted in Forensic Science | Tagged , | Leave a comment