Some folks are holding their collective inhalation about what the AAFS will do after the recent PCAST demolition of bitemark analysis. The President’s Science Council invoked the same rationale used by the National Academy of Science’s “Forensic Sciences…A Path Forward” report in 2009.

We have heard a bunch from some crime labbers, national da people, the us department of justice boss, and so forth gathering in a clump in objection.

Nothing from the AAFS so far. That’s a good thing, since everyone in its leadership have real day jobs and thankfully did not mimic other “knee jerk” folks who launched themselves into a tizzy before the final PCAST paper was formally published. It was leaked by some dentist calling him/herself “Dr4ensic.”

Here’s is what the AAFS said in 2009 about that report from the NAS.

In part……the AAFS promised……..

“Whenever a credible concern is brought to the Board of Directors of the AAFS regarding the scientific basis of a forensic science technique, the President will charge the President-elect to chair, and the appropriate section chair to co-chair a committee to assess if the challenge is legitimate. The committee shall consult with members of the relevant section(s), other professional organizations, and certifying bodies recognized by the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board (FSAB).”

The full  2009 AAFS position statement on the NAS is here.

Might the PCAST report be sufficient “concern” for the AAFS committee led system to activate this promise? Their topic should be bitemarks and …………much more besides.