Category Archives: criminal justice

Forensic Science Isn’t Science: Why juries hear—and trust—so much biased, unreliable, inaccurate evidence.

  Excellent Op-ED from SLATE on this serious subject relating to US public safety and  the US criminal justice system (CJS). Talks about wrongful executions, various types of cognitive biases and the lack of coordination between CJS, law enforcement and … Continue reading

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Bitemark case spurs judicial reform in CA., intimidation in forensics continues, + more

Forensic reform in California based in part on another bitemark case.  2011: Bitemark experts sue forensic lecturer regarding mention of Bennie Starks’ vacated conviction case. Later became a full exoneration when the DA dropped lesser remaining charges. The plantiffs in … Continue reading

Posted in ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, forensic science reform, William Richards Exoneration Case, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

More professional harassment of forensic experts, this time a pathologist. Plus political action spurred by bitemark case.

This is becoming commonplace. Another forensic expert gets job slammed for testifying against a Prosecutor’s “theory” of a case. CA: Prosecutors Suppress a Mountain of Evidence in Shaky Murder Case  Read about other examples of professional harassment of forensic experts both … Continue reading

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Who Pays the price for a False Forensic Identification? Plus Jack the Ripper is Backkkk , Cognitive Bias in Forensics.

When a forensic expert’s opinion on identification runs up against DNA. Who pays the price? http://bitemarks.org/  Expert testimony on eyewitness testimony allowed in state Supreme court. Experts on false confesses rejected. “the advent of DNA evidence, as well as hundreds of … Continue reading

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Forensic in Focus: From Witch hunts, criminal justice to some not so real forensic science.

Proof that CJ is not “always right.” TN exoneration joins growing number of innocence cases. Bitemarks included. 1 of 25 are innocent. Prosecutorial misconduct in Japan. Japan’s Authoritarian Criminal Justice System. Tells the Facts, Names the Names  The American Board … Continue reading

Posted in criminal justice, fingerprints, Forensic Science, National FOrensic Science Commission, prosecutorial misconduct | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics in Focus – “Crime lab whistleblowers” and……. -May 22, 2014

PowerPlex 21 DNA test to review cold cases. “Too prevent escalating costs.” New Commission to Regulate Prosecutorial Misconduct . Forensic science? Testimony from “dog scent lineup” sent woman to prison for crime she didn’t commit.  Asset forfeiture for college student pot … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, Exoneration costs, prosecutorial misconduct, Ray Krone bitemark case, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bitemark Identification Debunked? : People are still teaching dentists unreliable forensics

Sunday’s New York Times  piece on how “DNA Changed Forensic Science” was also an allegory. Much is in writing in the media about the deficiencies of bitemark identification. The 2009 landmark National Academies of Science Report on “Strengthening the Forensic … Continue reading

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

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

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 the latest from the New York Times. It uses the debunked FBI’s … Continue reading

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Comments on the White House 2014 report on “Strengthening Forensic Science”

Opinions from a forensic examiner. This material contains excerpts from the WH 2014 Forensic Science Report .  My comments (in bold) are added in certain sections. The Report excerpts are in italics. See the full report here. =========================================== EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF … Continue reading

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Death sentences: A trail of dubious contributions to justice: questionable and in some cases, erroneous bitemark opinions.

I have reported on this subject before, as the continued acceptance of the bitemark id “pseudoscience” in US courts still allows this prejudicial type of prosecutorial expert opinion to be considered “relevant evidence.” Continuing on this topic, my experience as a defense … Continue reading

Posted in Bitemarks, criminal justice, exoneration, Forensic Science, forensic testimony, Ray Krone bitemark case, William Richards Exoneration Case, wrongful convictions | 2 Comments