Category Archives: AAFS

Efforts to rid court system of outdated and flawed forensic “expertise”

Old Convictions, New Science Texas tackles debunked forensics. This legislative process in Texas reflects how the monolithic (i.e huge) US criminal justice system “repairs” itself. I use the word “repair” very loosely in that people have to be injured, killed … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bad Forensic Science, Bite Marks, Bitemarks, Civil rights, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, death penalty, DNA mixtures, DNA profiling, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Dentistry, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform, forensic testimony, Innocence March, junk forensic science, police crime labs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: What’s the world coming to? Now the FBI is saying their DNA lab calculations since 1999 are incorrect?

The tainted atmosphere surrounding forensic science in general and specifically in regards to the devastating FBI faux pas from their elite hair people is still bouncing around the media-verse. With that still happening,  the FBI now says their DNA population … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, Bitemarks, criminal justice reform, CSI, DNA mixtures, DNA profiling, forensic science reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: Conference makes demands that FBI correct its crime lab mistakes | US Senator Blumenthal and Henry Lee video

Read and view video of this Connecticut conference. Blumenthal “chilled and appalled.” Read more.  

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, DNA profiling, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, forensic testimony, junk forensic science, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: Fire Chief resigns after falsifying evidence, FBI hair debacle casts generalized doubts, TX leads in wrongful convictions and wants a fix

Fire chief resigns after lying about his credentials and arson evidence.  Forensic hair analysis: Evidence of more federal governmental dysfunction  How pizza can be tested for DNA evidence. Protocol used in Wash DC family murder investigation. Washington man imprisoned by … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, DNA mixtures, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Science Bias, Forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: 2004 Chi Trib articles about dubious bitemark convictions and bad science that still stand as “justice done.”

Its been 11 years since this article was published. Its about the DNA vs bitemark case AZ v. Tankersley. The defendant is still in prison. The “bitemark matchers” were ABFO members Raymond Rawson (Ray Krone’s exoneration story is at the bottom of this … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bad Forensic Science, Bite Marks, Bitemarks, Civil rights, Crime, criminal justice, CSI, DNA mixtures, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform, forensic testimony, junk forensic science, Ray Krone bitemark case, wrongful convictions | 1 Comment

Court tosses convictions but won’t say couple is innocent

Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
No matter how much evidence of innocence might exist, it is sometimes next to impossible to get the courts to fully admit error. That’s what happened yesterday, when Dan and Fran Keller, who were…

Posted in AAFS, Civil rights, exoneration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pediatricians suggest bitemarks only be used to establish whether adult, other child or animal cause of skin injuries

This piece, “AAP: Peds Serve as Primary Prevention for Child Abuse.”  comes from MedPage, a  respected online health resource, which is now briefing general physicians about the proper diagnosis of child abuse. They have just published a new report (updated from 2007) from the … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bite Marks, Bitemarks, junk forensic science, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Peter Neufeld on broken forensics needing a fix. SFO Police lab keeps coming up short. This time its DNA:

“According to testimony and evidence revealed in a trial late last year, the analyst allegedly filled in the gaps in poor-quality, incomplete genetic evidence. She generated two complete genetic profiles, and both were sent off as definitive test results to … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, exoneration, forensic science reform | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The path forward on bite mark matching — and the rearview mirror #AAFS2015

This is the final article of the Washington Post’s Radley Balko’s 4 part series on forensic science reform and the personalities and organizations (legal advocates and forensic groups) involved on both sides of the discussion. The first three articles are … Continue reading →

Posted in AAFS, Bitemarks, criminal justice, exoneration, expert testimony, forensic science reform, junk forensic science | Leave a comment

In depth look at a dangerous forensic ‘science’ #AAFS2015

Third of a four part series on the Washington Post with one more on Friday. This coincides with happenings at the 2015 American Academy of Sciences’ “We are Family” themed convention. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/02/18/attack-of-the-bite-mark-matchers-2

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, forensic science reform | Leave a comment