Monthly Archives: September 2017

Advanced Forensic Nursing training in Pennsylvania – Not Phleboto-Cops

  Specialized nursing training to provide care for victims of violent crime and forensic investigations. On-the-job training is not sufficient.  If you can believe it, some police agencies train officers to collect biological evidence from patients. Unbelieveable. They’re called Phleboto-Cops. … Continue reading

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Bad digital forensics dust up in the UK – “Cops rip off company’s hacking program”

The area of police investigating digital evidence used one company’s proprietary cracking program and staff at the peak of their success. Until the police took the program public and put it on the Internet. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/collapsed-forensics-firm-s-boss-the-police-ruined-me-now-i-fear-for-terror-probes-a3645006.html

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Fabric “matching” overwhelming DNA testing leads to execution gurney in Texas

Another story about lazy forensics sending defendants to the death chamber. DNA testing be damned, the police ‘science’ creates a unique match. Inmate scheduled for execution.  By Jordan Smith

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Fingerprint documentation of findings seems alot better than the bitemarkers

Using digital record keeping of the fingerprint characters observed during a comparison certainly exceeds what the bitemarkers have in their “guidelines.” Most case law allowing bitemarks into courts have the dentists declaring that bitemarks are like fingerprints. Usually all they … Continue reading

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Look at the ‘Individualization Fallacy in Forensic Science Evidence’ -The Classic Article

This should be required reading in forensic courses and law schools. Even if the @NDAAJustice DAs lack the academic capacity to understand some of it, they should read it too. In 22 pages, it provides a contemporary forensic history lesson, … Continue reading

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A “discrepant” view on flawed forensics leading to later exonerations – bitemarks at al.

A mighty effort by someone connected to the National Institute of Justice to blend ‘forward thinking’ about science and better crime lab management improving the reliability of criminal convictions. The author uses a blend of data that minimizes how many … Continue reading

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Making sure non data-driven forensics gets a pass in the courtroom – “I’m an examiner”

This is from a well positioned advocate of “source of the evidence” determinations being based on “expertise.” The writer has an affinity for bitemark analysis as well and worries about the DAs losing their advantage of using soft ‘police science’ … Continue reading

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Forensics: Scientific American goes after (again) Trump/Sessions dumping NCFS Commission

  This iconic publisher of all things related to science has consistently reflected the need for advances in forensic reliability and “gap” analysis to reduce errors.  SA has republished this piece previously titled “Forensic Science Must Be Scientific.” Wrongful convictions … Continue reading

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The failure of Forensic Evidence standards: Daubert flaws allowing junk science in courts

“This article examines the justice system’s failure by reviewing the status of six forensic techniques: (1) bite mark analysis, (2) microscopic hair comparisons, (3) firearms and toolmark identifications, (4) fingerprint examinations, (5) bullet lead analysis, and (6) arson evidence. It … Continue reading

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“When you mix police work and science, they don’t always speak the same language,”

Nothing but the facts in this one. Other than to remind you all that the Feds want to monitor their own forensic science commission.  “In fact, the auditing agencies designated to watch the lab in the past missed the warning … Continue reading

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