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.

The crumbling US criminal defense system – clients are 80% indigent – DAs get 4x more funding –

This data leads one to answer the question: “Why does the US leads in numbers and percentages of incarcerated populations?” Here’s another one: “Why are the numbers of exonerations increasing every year?” and so forth. By Tina Peng NEW ORLEANS The … Continue reading

Posted in criminal justice, criminal justice reform, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: Anti-cognitive bias training, limitations of science testimony, politicos and rape kits in NYC

Peter Neufeld, co-founder of The Innocence Project, will speak at the University of St. Thomas as part of a symposium on forensic science this month. “When the Gavel Falls…Limitations of Scientific Testimony” Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:00 AM to 4:00 … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, criminal justice reform, CSI, expert testimony, Forensic science misconduct | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New efforts to ID Pearl Harbor victims, the “excitement of delirium” and other Forensic Notes, some strange others tragic.

After a 1947 internment from the battleship Oklahoma, skeletal remains experience new ID attempts.  North Carolina has two newly compensated exonerees. 30 years in prison while innocent of murder. Once again, false confessions prove to be largely coerced from vulnerable … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime, criminal justice, CSI, DNA profiling, exoneration, forensic pathology, Forensic Science, junk forensic science | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Point of Action” rapid DNA presents major lack of safeguards

These decidedly un-literary PR pieces from DNA companies boggle the mind regarding what they don’t say about reliability safeguards during the use of their “printer sized” machines located at the aptly named CSI style ” point of action.” Maybe they … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, criminal justice, CSI | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Hold Bad Prosecutors Accountable: The Case for a Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct

Why not create a standing commission on Forensic Science Integrity in New York as well? One  exists in Texas and is auditing the effects of flawed microscopic hair and bitemark matching in past cases. Much to the chagrin and ire … Continue reading

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Forensic dentist defends the Innocence Project against “Anti Forensic Science” AAFS/ABFO Accuser

The California Dental Association Journal, in its July 2015 publication presented a multi contributor article on forensic dentistry. Having good PR for the efforts of largely volunteer dentists doing human identification cases and being trained and available in mass disaster … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, DNA profiling, forensic science reform | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Stats on CSIDDS forensics and law blog – Thanks so much for your interest!!

Going to reach 20,000 for 2015.

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Fabrication of bitemark evidence by dentists not proven according to 7th Circuit dismissal of Stinson civil suit

“Fabricated opinion evidence, for which the expert might not have qualified immunity, must be both wrong and known to be wrong by the expert,” Sykes explained (an appellant judge recently wrote this in WI). Its quite clear in Wisconsin that … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bite Marks, Civil rights, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, CSI, death penalty | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Its all about cheese for this bitemark expert

An overview of forensic dentistry in Australia. The author uses a 1954 cheeze bite case as a standout. Some what wrong as it misses all the faulty expert opines helping wrongful convictions. The remaining info on identifying human remains is … Continue reading

Posted in Bite Marks, Bitemarks, CSI, Forensic Dentistry | Leave a comment

US Army Crime Lab enters the realm of “personal DNA” sequencing looking for hair an eye color

Battele Inc’s research leader used to run the FBI DNA nuclear DNA unit. Now his company is coming into the big game of identifying human physical traits from genomic DNA “markers” (ie.e alleles) not used in current criminal science systems. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, CSI, DNA profiling | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments