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.

California Bar Asso hires its ethics “trainer” from a list of ex prosecutors prone to misconduct charges

It never fails, that when prosecutors get into trouble they get promoted and make more money. A safety net surely does exist in California for some lawyers. This seems to come from the top of the food chain, as the … Continue reading

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Bite mark expert defends his methods as good for the court system without scientific validation

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
Use this as a counter-point to the recent Associated Press investigation on the failure of bite mark comparisons as a reliable forensic science. Over at the Bite Marks…

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Who says politics isn’t in Forensics? DAs in DC expect too much from DNA lab

DNA mixtures (multiple person DNA blood samples) interpretation disagreement raises DC prosecutors to backlash against respected DC crime lab director Max Houck and his $200 million facility. He says different statistical methods produces varying opinions and he has setup a … Continue reading

Posted in DNA mixtures, DNA profiling, police crime labs | Tagged | 1 Comment

THe NIST Forensic Science Commission Lays an Egg with its Bitemark Study Group. Now its hatching.

OSAC Subcommittee on Ondontology (sic) The original source of this NIST  information is here.  Other than originally mis-spelling ODONTOLOGY, this NIST subcommittee (OSAC) on Forensic Dentistry should do well dealing with dental identification of unknown human remains, but in the … Continue reading

Posted in Forensic Science, National FOrensic Science Commission, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

NY Times: “DNA Analysis Exposes an Inexact Forensic Science” + Bitemark Cases

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
For over 2 decades, the US press has used “inexact” in writing about certain forensic methods which are used to convict criminal defendants. Bitemark experts included. Here is…

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New Junk Forensic Science comes your way from Alabama

Nothing says ‘forensic science’ better that the state of Alabama. Its evidentiary statutes and case law (stare decisis) contains convictions later overturned by DNA. And, its District Attorneys (Hi there, Steve Marshall, from Marshall County, ALA) allow forensic experts to testify like … Continue reading

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Conviction Integrity Units – A Skeptic’s Perspective

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
Anyone who has followed me at all on this blog must know that, as a group, prosecutors are not my favorite people. But it’s almost, kind-of not their fault. It’s just that the position…

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Hard data on factors leading to wrongful convictions : Forensics

Posted in costs of wrongful convictions, forensic science reform, Wrongful Conviction | Leave a comment

News Release: Crime lab ‘scientist’s’ pushback against last week’s “Using Faulty Science” op-ed scientists Kafadar and Mazza

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
This deserves a special blog post this morning. A new protector of forensic science integrity has emerged into public view. His rhetoric is familiar and attacks the op-ed I reposted…

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News Release: Crime lab ‘scientist’s’ pushback against last week’s “Using Faulty Science” op-ed scientists Kafadar and Mazza

This deserves a special blog post this morning. A new protector of forensic science integrity has emerged into public view. His rhetoric is familiar and attacks the op-ed I reposted last week from two researchers involved with forensic statistics and the National … Continue reading

Posted in exoneration, forensic science reform | Tagged , | 1 Comment