Author Archives: csidds

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About csidds

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

Here’s a criminal lawyer’s worst nightmare: Hiring a forensic expert with a faked resume.

Interesting story for a few reasons: The opposing expert was a cop and thought this defense expert’s CV looked suspicious. This in itself isn’t unusual. Fact-checking an expert is a rather basic act by both sides in court cases. I’ve … Continue reading

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“Stated more simply, no sane human being could find them guilty,” CA_Innocence

California’s governor Jerry Brown needs to tell that to Kimberley Long and the remaining members of the #FreetheCA12 still in prison. Kimberley is a victim of exaggerated pathology confidence in determining a murder victim’s death. That’s all that was needed … Continue reading

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Calls for limits on ‘flawed science’ in court are well-founded: A guest post

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
From: The Washington Post A White House advisory council on Tuesday issued a report urging federal prosecutors and judges to tread cautiously around forensic science on bullet markings, bite marks, tire tread marks and…

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Blogging the war on forensic science reform; “unsupported and misleading”

Projections and accusations of deceit, lying, financial gain, and undermining the criminal justice system are now flowing through the media from law enforcement types who are pointing at “forensic science reformists”  getting viral positive attention in the press and legal … Continue reading

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It’s put up time for the American Academy of Forensic Sciences to act on bitemarks

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 … Continue reading

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Prez advisors warn: halt convictions based on pseudoscience

Originally posted on Appellate Squawk:
Galileo tries to persuade the Inquisition to look at the Moon through a telescope. A mysterious Deep Throat, known only as Dr4ensic, has leaked a draft report from a Presidential commission warning that courts are…

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Bringing the Prosecutors “kicking and screaming” into the light of scientific standards.

    Michael Ramos @michaelramos .@ndaajustice will continue to defend our criminal justice system against those who try to undermine ithttps://twitter.com/ndaajustice/status/771802800166694912 … 1:37 PM – 2 Sep 2016 Here’ the stand-off: Prosecutors’ existing forensic standards necessary for them to continue to … Continue reading

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Junk Science Reigns ____ So Much for True Science in the Courtroom

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
We had hope, back in 2009, when the National Academy of Sciences report Forensic Science in the United States; A Path Forward was published, that there might finally be some remedy for all the junk science…

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“It’s a Joke.” More on the FBI and DOJ bad attitude on legitimate testing in forensics

Hey, just think. If the FBI and DOJ admitted (again) that they “aren’t perfect”  and “needed to test more” then imagine the change in the rate of appeals their convictions would demand? There wouldn’t be enough lawyers in this country … Continue reading

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Calling out the LEO forensic curmudgeons saying “Overeaching and Junk is OK”

Much of the forensic evidence used in convictions has been found unreliable. Prosecutors want to use it anyway Salon has compiled what’s I unkindly have called the LEO mind-set of being “Untouchable” when it comes to the using unsafe courtroom … Continue reading

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