Monthly Archives: May 2021

Forensics: This should include ME/Coroner offices. Craft an African American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

Universities and museums must catalogue the remains of Black Americans in their collections, and pause research pending consultation with descendant communities. — Read on http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01320-4

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Forensics: Human tissue preserved since World War I yields new clues about 1918 pandemic | Science | AAAS

RNA found in specimens from German patients shows the virus may have adapted between first and second waves — Read on http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/human-tissue-preserved-world-war-i-yields-new-clues-about-1918-pandemic

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Forensics: Really? A Manhattan D.A. Candidate Touts Her Leadership of a Conviction Review Unit. Why Did It Exonerate So Few People? – The Appeal

Under Tali Farhadian Weinstein’s leadership, Brooklyn’s unit exonerated just three people—a far lower rate than in previous years. — Read on theappeal.org/tali-farhadian-weinstein-brooklyn-conviction-review-unit/

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Forensic anthropologist helps police investigate bones found in Casco shed

Maine State Police detectives continue to investigate the recent discovery of skeletal remains in Casco, a process that includes a forensic anthropologist Marcella Sorg who could help uncover clues about the person’s identification. — Read on http://www.unionleader.com/content/tncms/live/

Posted in AAFS, human identification, missing persons | Tagged | Leave a comment

Forensics: SBS in OZ. Top scientists question basis for Victoria’s baby shaking prosecutions

Three young men are about to appeal against their convictions for killing or injuring infants by shaking them. The scientific community is split on the subject. So are the convictions sound? — Read on http://www.smh.com.au/national/top-scientists-question-basis-for-victoria-s-baby-shaking-prosecutions-20210513-p57rkm.html

Posted in AAFS, criminal justice, forensic evidence exaggeration, forensic pathology, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science reform, Medical errors | Leave a comment

Forensics: Ex-prosecutor disbarred after wrongful convictions in Texas – ABC News

A former Dallas County prosecutor has surrendered his law license after the State Bar of Texas said he withheld evidence that led to the wrongful convictions of two men who spent 14 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of … Continue reading

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Forensics: More on fraud in academia. Behind China’s ‘mind power’ egg scandal, where academic ghostwriters quote US$400 to get bogus science published | South China Morning Post

Writers advertising on e-commerce platforms say they can arrange for articles to be published in journals indexed on China’s largest research database — Read on amp.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3133548/behind-chinas-mind-power-egg-scandal-where-academic

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, forensic evidence exaggeration, forensic fraud, Forensic Science | Leave a comment

Forensics: How Your DNA—or Someone Else’s—Can Send You to Jail

Although DNA is individual to you—a “fingerprint” of your genetic code—DNA samples don’t always tell a complete story. The DNA samples used in criminal prosecutions are generally of low quality, making them particularly complicated to analyze. They are not very … Continue reading

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Forensics: What? Philly says it found the remains of the MOVE bombing victims it thought it had cremated and discarded

Health commissioner Thomas Farley resigned on Thursday after acknowledging he ordered the remains cremated and disposed. But the city found the remains in a basement office on Friday. — Read on http://www.inquirer.com/news/thomas-farley-philadelphia-health-commissioner-move-bombing-20210514.html

Posted in AAFS, forensic pathology, Forensic Science, gravesite desecration, human identification | Leave a comment

Forensics: Beware of forensic experts expressing certainty

Opinion piece about reigning-in exaggerated and one-sided expert testimony. Offers a free online tutorial via Coursera. Its organized by Christophe Champod and the UNIL forensics faculty. “Challenging Forensic Science: How science should speak to court.” I just signed up. Expert … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, expert testimony, forensic evidence exaggeration, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, forensic testimony | Tagged , , | 1 Comment