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Monthly Archives: December 2015
Major US Forensic Lab Scandals by State : The DOJ takes a stab at solution
Rumblings about mess-ups in US government-run forensic labs has finally reached the US DOJ. The reliability aspects of who does the “accreditation” is another matter. Thanks to NACDL and @celiagivens at the DNA Newsletter. DOJ to Mandate Lab Accreditation The … Continue reading
Forensics: How Police actions can lead to a Homicide years after the incident
Remember that when a medical examiner renders homicide as the manner of a death, there are three subcategories ranging from 1) murder 2) manslaughter and 3) justifiable. This article talks about a police-action-related injury (brain injury) evolving years later to … Continue reading
Forensics: Correcting the effects of junk science is problematic in the US
The separation of the US judiciary individual state court systems creates a systemic obstacle to curing past damage created by flawed CSI expert testimony. Montana is the example used in this article to put this in a sharper focus. http://mtstandard.com/crime-and-courts/some-states-review-flawed-hair-analysis-convictions-but-so-far/article_078e5c5d-2d97-503f-b9fa-af337aa08585.html
Forensics: Decomp rate of microbial system in dead bodies considered marker for TOD
Dead bodies are the topic today. Researchers from UC of San Diego are talking about Time of Death determinations using bacteria. Considering the encironmental and physical factors that influence decomposition rathers, this research still has a longgg way to go. … Continue reading
Posted in AAFS, ABFO
Tagged American Academy of Forensic Science, crime labs, Forensic science
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Forensics: New York Times calls Bitemarkers’ Evidence risking “Lives in Balance”
The lack of legit validation for the AAFS supported bitemark ID group was in plain sight during last month’s Texas Forensic Science Commission fact-finding hearing on this junk forensic science. This photo shows Innocent Project’s Director of Strategic Litigation Chris Fabricant … Continue reading
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Forensic expert muses on his certitude that possible death penalty outcome is not relevant
This is the landscape of NGRI the defense (not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to be executed). Or lack thereof. If nothing else, this open declaration by a forensic expert reveals a rationale of the “greater good” somehow … Continue reading
Forensics: Belfast Detective faked sexual assault tests to reduce caseload
“Working in the Metropolitan Police’s Sapphire sex crimes unit, he failed to send evidence including swabs and a condom for forensic and toxicological tests before recording “negative” results in the crime reporting information system (Cris).” http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/jail-for-detective-who-faked-results-of-forensic-tests-in-sex-crime-inquiries-34276502.html
Forensics: Freddie Gray death trial brings out all sorts of theories of what, where, and how
The opposing attorneys do battle with expert wits in a way that really highlights the entire legal adversary process in the US CJ system. The degree of physical impairment from the cervical injury is well described. The timeline of where … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged American Academy of Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, CSI, Forensic science
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Forensics: Goulish story about vampirism myths in the United States
(What a crazy set of teeth. Awesome dental prosthetic from the “Nosferatu” silent film.) This confirms that New Englanders always have had a strange way about themselves. http://strangeremains.com/2015/11/01/the-vampire-slayings-in-19th-century-new-england/
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged falsified evidence, junk science, misidentification, vampires
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When a forensic pathologist testifies for the defense, the testimony is always “controversial”
This is about the Freddie Gray related trial of police officers in Baltimore. Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner in San Antonio, said Gray’s injury was “so violent, it’s so high-energy” that it … Continue reading
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