Category Archives: Crime
#Forensics: Unreliable experts in Australia unfortunately sound all too familiar.
Very good look at how lack of proper legal rules let the bitemarkers and other court experts run rampant. Of course those who attended a recent @NIST forensics symposium were insulted by the scientists who reached the same conclusions. https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/tech/evidence-on-trial-why-the-forensic-evidence-is-less-reliable-than-we-think/news-story/27c34297d86970ec5867da91b0f6729e
#Forensics: Police crime labs looking worse and worse.
Hiding evidence? Never….almost. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/02/nicholas-mcguffin-manslaughter-charge-leah-freeman-potentially-set-free/
#Forensics: Errors in fingerprinting matches get some air time. Training and low standards a major focus.
One major issue in the fingerprinting world is how court testimony of these experts can mislead juries to expect mis-matches never occur. https://theintercept.com/2019/11/29/fingerprint-examination-proficiency-test-forensic-science/
Posted in AAFS, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime, CSI, wrongful convictions
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#Forensics: Contextual bias influences and weak forensic testing results leads to jury overestimation of guilt
When police lab results are weak or ambiguous, juries commonly use non science circumstances to increase its value. https://phys.org/news/2019-10-csi-current-impact-bias-crime.html
Posted in AAFS, Crime, criminal justice, CSI, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias
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Forensics: Revealing the effects of politics tainting forensic science
The sociology of police crime labs is thoroughly disclosed in this short article. Max Houck recognizes the 10 year old NAS Report and he offers some improvements. Tell that to the USDOJ. Again. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X19300853
Forensics incorrect between 23% to 96% of court cases
A UK study group describes their study as demanding a “holistic overhaul” of these practices taken into criminal courts. It contains a good review of US exoneration efforts to effect forensics. Too bad the police controlled forensic managers seem deaf … Continue reading
Forensic bias dangers from police interactions
Notables discuss the interface between police and anyone examining crime scene evidence. Especially those folks working police crime labs. Recent cases of experts being influenced by police theories certainly highlights this as creating cognitive bias. It is very hard to … Continue reading
Crime lab mess redux: Now it’s Alaska’s $90M boondoggle
These stories just keep coming ……. It seems the public’s confidence in the “theory(ies) of crime detection” appears to be eroding from top ( governmental PCAST deniers) to the bottom. Take your pick on the bottom. Wanna try “Making a … Continue reading
Fentanyl-like drugs are pouring in primarily from China, U.S. officials say
This is a real war on drugs being fought at the DEA and forensic crime labs. Fentanyl is 50 stronger than heroin. San Francisco Chronicle.
Posted in Crime, CSI, forensic toxicology
Tagged DEA forensics, fentanyl, US opioid deaths
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