Author Archives: csidds

About csidds

Dr. Michael Bowers is a long time forensic consultant in the US and international court systems.

A real bad day…Judge tells Texas state forensic examiner to stop testifying in DWI case

Posted on October 18, 2016 by csidds

Texas has a mish-mash of regional crime labs which cross pollinate into counties without a dedicated facility. Some are accredited by the ASCLD. Here is its’ police and commercial lab corporation’s approved list of Texas labs. I don’t see Collins County … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Exculpatory Evidence, falsified evidence, forensic examiner error, Forensic science, Miscarriage of justice, wrongful convictions | Leave a comment

Facial reconstruction from a blood sample used for criminal investigation

Posted on October 18, 2016 by csidds

Nothing in this newspaper blurb says how any of this has been validated. The police admit not being sure what to do with it. No one brought up the ‘CSI’ method of using digital facial recognition which seems to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged crime labs, criminal justice, Forensic science, lack of forensic validation | Leave a comment

Forensic and Law News: Monday’s Quick Clicks…

Posted on October 17, 2016 by csidds

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
The Intercept: Donald Trump’s Ugly Attack on Central Park Five Reflects All-Too-Common Attitude… FOX Illinois: Wrongful Conviction Puts Teshome Campbell Behind Bars For 18 Years… The Daily Progress: 2 federal lawsuits seek compensation for exonerated…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Messed up DNA testing fixed after 24 years in prison; Lazy ballistics

Posted on October 15, 2016 by csidds

Wisconsin man exonerated and released from prison after 24 years after Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office found lab analyst made errors in original 1992 DNA analysis report (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) A new study shows that PredPol, a predictive policing software … Continue reading →

Posted in criminal justice, CSI, DNA mixtures, DNA profiling, forensic science misconduct, police crime labs | Tagged AAFS, ABFO, ADA, Anthropology, ASCLD, ASFO, bad ballistics, bias, bite mark, bite marks, bitemark, bitemark analysis, bitemark evidence, bitemark testimony, Bitemarks, board certified dentist, comparison confirmation bias, David Sheets, DNA, Dr. Greg Golden, Dr. L.T. Johnson, Dr. Michael Bowers, Dr. Michael West, Dr. Robert Barsley, Dr. roger Metcalf, Elsevier, exoneration, expert opinion, forensic, Forensic Dental Evidence, forensic dentist, forensic dentistry, forensic odontologist, Forensic Odontology, Forensic science, homicide case, Humberto Leal, Innocence partners, innocence project, Innocent, Investigator's Handbook, JADA, Kennedy Brewer, Kunco, Leal, Leigh Stubbs, Levon Brooks, Mary Bush, Michael bowers, Michael West, Mississippi Innocence, NAS National Academy of Science, National District Attorney Association, National Forensic Science Foundation, observer effects, Odontology, PCAST, Peter Bush, Ray Krone, Ray Miller, reliability research, Saliva, screening film, starks, Stinson, surveillance video, theIAI.org, toolmark, University of Buffalo, UV photography, validity, West, Wisconsin, wrongful conviction, wrongful convictions, wrongfully convicted | Leave a comment

‘Dubious’ forensic science casebook: ‘The San Antonio Four’

Posted on October 14, 2016 by csidds

Inside Case Behind Wrongful Conviction Doc ‘Southwest of Salem’ Here ya go. Prosecutors and defense attorneys always have their ‘go-to” forensic experts to review evidence and ultimately, in some cases, no evidence at all. Read this about wound healing from … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged recanting forensic pathology | Leave a comment

Sketchy police use of body cameras; LEO use of predictive crime software biased and useless

Posted on October 14, 2016 by csidds

NYPD has yet to outfit any of their officers with body cameras despite a 2013 federal court ruling that ordered the implementation of a body camera pilot program in at least 5 NYPD precincts: “Envisioned as a tool to bolster … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Crime lab scandal, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI | Tagged AAFS, ABFO, ADA, Anthropology, ASCLD, ASFO, bias, bite mark, bite marks, bitemark, bitemark analysis, bitemark evidence, bitemark testimony, Bitemarks, board certified dentist, comparison confirmation bias, David Sheets, DNA, Dr. Greg Golden, Dr. L.T. Johnson, Dr. Michael Bowers, Dr. Michael West, Dr. Robert Barsley, Dr. roger Metcalf, Elsevier, exoneration, expert opinion, forensic, Forensic Dental Evidence, forensic dentist, forensic dentistry, forensic odontologist, Forensic Odontology, Forensic science, homicide case, Humberto Leal, Innocence partners, innocence project, Innocent, Investigator's Handbook, JADA, Kennedy Brewer, Kunco, Leal, Leigh Stubbs, Levon Brooks, Mary Bush, Michael bowers, Michael West, Mississippi Innocence, NAS National Academy of Science, National District Attorney Association, National Forensic Science Foundation, observer effects, Odontology, PCAST, Peter Bush, police body cameras, predictive crime software, Ray Krone, Ray Miller, reliability research, Saliva, screening film, starks, Stinson, surveillance video, theIAI.org, toolmark, University of Buffalo, UV photography, validity, West, Wisconsin, wrongful conviction, wrongful convictions, wrongfully convicted | Leave a comment

The attack of the “Face-Mark” Matchers – another doubtful FBI forensic “science”

Posted on October 13, 2016 by csidds

Title credit: Radley Balko. “Atttack of the ‘bite mark matchers.” The above pic are three suspects in a Texas bitemark case post conviction federal hearing. Each color is a specific person’s upper and lower tooth outline. The DA used a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged junk forensic experts, junk forensic sciences | Leave a comment

Serial rapists and underachieving government crime lab; cops as “super-experts”

Posted on October 13, 2016 by csidds

“Did Failures at APD’s Crime Lab Lead to Sexual Assaults in Houston?” (Austin Chronicle) A new Harvard Law Review article titled “The Judicial Presumption of Police Expertise” questions whether police should be treated as expert witnesses when giving testimony in criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime lab scandal, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, expert testimony | Tagged AAFS, ABFO, ADA, Anthropology, ASCLD, ASFO, bias, bite mark, bite marks, bitemark, bitemark analysis, bitemark evidence, bitemark testimony, Bitemarks, board certified dentist, comparison confirmation bias, David Sheets, DNA, Dr. Greg Golden, Dr. L.T. Johnson, Dr. Michael Bowers, Dr. Michael West, Dr. Robert Barsley, Dr. roger Metcalf, Elsevier, exoneration, expert opinion, forensic, Forensic Dental Evidence, forensic dentist, forensic dentistry, forensic odontologist, Forensic Odontology, Forensic science, homicide case, Humberto Leal, Innocence partners, innocence project, Innocent, Investigator's Handbook, JADA, Kennedy Brewer, Kunco, Leal, Leigh Stubbs, Levon Brooks, Mary Bush, Michael bowers, Michael West, Mississippi Innocence, NAS National Academy of Science, National District Attorney Association, National Forensic Science Foundation, observer effects, Odontology, PCAST, Peter Bush, Ray Krone, Ray Miller, reliability research, Saliva, screening film, starks, Stinson, surveillance video, theIAI.org, toolmark, University of Buffalo, UV photography, validity, West, Wisconsin, wrongful conviction, wrongful convictions, wrongfully convicted | Leave a comment

The underbelly of science vs police science arguments in the News

Posted on October 12, 2016 by csidds

A former D.C. public defender has written an Op-Ed on Counterpunch.org titled, “Corrupted Evidence: How the Department of Justice is Blocking Forensic Evidence Reform” “Junk Science? —Legal Experts Slam Reliability of Much Forensic Evidence in Criminal Trials” (Ground Report) Thanks … Continue reading →

Posted in death penalty, forensic science reform, police crime labs, US Crime labs | Tagged AAFS, ABFO, ADA, Anthropology, ASCLD, ASFO, bias, bite mark, bite marks, bitemark, bitemark analysis, bitemark evidence, bitemark testimony, Bitemarks, board certified dentist, comparison confirmation bias, David Sheets, DNA, Dr. Greg Golden, Dr. L.T. Johnson, Dr. Michael Bowers, Dr. Michael West, Dr. Robert Barsley, Dr. roger Metcalf, Elsevier, exoneration, expert opinion, forensic, Forensic Dental Evidence, forensic dentist, forensic dentistry, forensic odontologist, Forensic Odontology, Forensic science, homicide case, Humberto Leal, Innocence partners, innocence project, Innocent, Investigator's Handbook, JADA, Kennedy Brewer, Kunco, Leal, Leigh Stubbs, Levon Brooks, Mary Bush, Michael bowers, Michael West, Mississippi Innocence, NAS National Academy of Science, National District Attorney Association, National Forensic Science Foundation, observer effects, Odontology, PCAST, Peter Bush, Ray Krone, Ray Miller, reliability research, Saliva, screening film, starks, Stinson, surveillance video, theIAI.org, toolmark, University of Buffalo, UV photography, validity, West, Wisconsin, wrongful conviction, wrongful convictions, wrongfully convicted | Leave a comment

Data search into the success of criminal appeals: Results are………..