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 rise of the Innocence Project was based on DNA and a fractured system of forensic science

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
I have been perusing threads in the press concerning dialogue of forensic practitioners about the gaps and misapplications of their forensics in the US criminal justice system.  There aren’t…

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The rise of the Innocence Project was based on DNA and a fractured system of forensic science

I have been perusing threads in the press concerning dialogue of forensic practitioners about the gaps and misapplications of their forensics in the US criminal justice system.  There aren’t many.  For the most part, there are a vocal few within the forensic communities … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A wobbly attack on the Innocence Project being a “franchise” and having “financial interests” in exons

This is just another ill conceived railing at the NY and other Innocence Projects (there are about 34 affiliates). Its in the form of an anonymous letter to the the NY Joint Commission on Public Ethics in regards to “ethics … Continue reading

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Why a city auditor wants a crime lab “independent” from his local Denver police department

After singing its praises, Denver City Auditor suggests moving crime lab Maybe this Denver city administrator is reading the forensic news. He talks about the public’s trust and new forensic “sophistication.” A very well-crafted statement. “This recommendation is in no … Continue reading

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FORENSICS: What is a “partial DNA match?” Or, what ARE we talking about here?

This blog follows the event of the Albuquerque police using a “partial DNA match” sufficient to hold a man in jail for 17 months.   The news release from New Mexico is vague about what the police are changing in their … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, CSI, DNA profiling, Forensic Science | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

ABQ PD uses a “partial DNA match” to put the wrong man in jail for 14 months

And here is how they got the wrong guy. “After settling a lawsuit, the police department changed its procedure. Officers must now explain how strong the DNA match is for any potential suspect before a judge agrees to issue a … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, criminal justice, CSI, DNA profiling, exoneration | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Forensics: Child abuse research: multiple fractures possible from single impact : animal study.

EAST LANSING – The years that Todd Fenton, Roger Haut and their research team spent smashing infant pig skulls in a lab at Michigan State University could change the way forensic scientists interpret skull fractures in children and the way … Continue reading

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Update on ‘Baby Tyler’ Iowa death case. Crime fighting in the UK and AU comes up zip

  Update: A classic example of legal/forensic relationship disharmony. Here are issue clarifications and further discussion from earlier CSIDDS blogs about an Iowa state medical examiner court hearing and trial testimony about cause and manner of death in a murder case. … Continue reading

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Pathologist gets spanked for using defendant’s statements as basis for determining cause and manner of death

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
This case defines some limits to what a medical expert can consider in rendering  “with medical certainty” testimony. This should be a message to the odontologists who rely on…

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Forensics: Is the US military capable of reliably identifying remains from the USS Oklahoma?

This is a very sensitive topic as it is about identifying remains of 388 US Navy and Marine Corps personnel killed on the USS Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor attack by Japanese aircraft in the morning of December 7, 1941. … Continue reading

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