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Category Archives: expert testimony
Forensics : British custody death inquiry gets messier when a US forensic expert talks to tabloids
Court appointed forensic experts need to keep their mouths shut when involved in police custody death inquiries. In fact, they should stay out of the news throughout any of these so-called “independent reviews” of custodial inmate deaths. The only exception … Continue reading
Posted in criminal justice, CSI, expert testimony
Tagged Criminal Justice, Forensic science, forensic testimony
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Forensics: Anti-cognitive bias training, limitations of science testimony, politicos and rape kits in NYC
Peter Neufeld, co-founder of The Innocence Project, will speak at the University of St. Thomas as part of a symposium on forensic science this month. “When the Gavel Falls…Limitations of Scientific Testimony” Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:00 AM to 4:00 … Continue reading
Forensics: Another case of a “recaptured” bitemark showing “unique” features matching one man in the world.
This comes in three parts: Part One This is the long range photo of a bitemark determined so by two ABFO bitemark dentists Michael Sobel and Tom David. Here is a color closeup on the left and a UV picture … Continue reading
Forensics: More judicial illiteracy about scientific principles
Somewhere there must be an appellate judge who understands something about reliability. The 7th US Circuit sure needs some help. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/08/04/federal-appeals-court-drug-dog-thats-barely-more-accurate-than-a-coin-flip-is-good-enough
Unvalidated excuses used against unarmed police shooting victims.
Never let it be said that there isn’t an expert available to help out your case. Just a phone call away and all for $1000 an hour. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/08/junk-science-and-police-shootings.html?om_rid=AAWnTC&om_mid=_BVv7o2B9EMd6D1
Forensics : 1960 When bitemarks were considered equal to fingerprints……..
………a British dentist said “bruises in human flesh” bitemarks were”unreliable evidence” and expressed reasons that were, 49 years later, used by the National Academy of Sciences in 2009 . He also said “usually a self-styled expert” and “so-called expert (s)” … Continue reading
Bad actors and negligent experts in Crim Justice still immune.
This follows up previous blogs about how citizens, damaged by CJ incompetence (including some lawyers) and bad acts, run afoul of legal interpretations of immunity for state employees and their minions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/07/30/people-wronged-by-the-criminal-justice-system-face-a-long-road-to-compensation (copyright 2015 Dental and Forensic Services LLC )
Excellent Canadian article on problematic forensics
This is a great piece which echoes others involved in forensic science reform. One statement rings true regarding juries/judges having to interpret exaggerating and conflicting experts. m.thestar.com/#/article/news/crime/2015/06/12/why-its-so-hard-to-keep-bad-forensics-out-of-the-courtroom.html?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FGmxX8xrGfu
Posted in Bad Forensic Science, Bite Marks, Bitemarks, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, DNA profiling, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform, forensic testimony, junk forensic science, National FOrensic Science Commission, police crime labs, Ray Krone bitemark case, US Crime labs, wrongful convictions
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US forensic group’s new research explodes its own credibility. They then stumble into the denial and blame game. Again.
The Watch Radley Balko April 8, 2015 A bite mark matching advocacy group just conducted a study that discredits bite mark evidence In February, I posted a four-part series on the forensic speciality of bite mark analysis. The series looked … Continue reading
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bite Marks, CSI, expert testimony, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias
Tagged AAFS, ABFO, American Academy of Forensic Science, AMERICAN BOARD OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY, Bad forensic science, Criminal Justice, forensic examiner error, junk forensic science, National Commission on Forensic Science
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Examples where Forensic language and the media lead to misinformation and confusion for juries.
How things have changed? The term “similar’ used in fiber analysis case. http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2015/06/forensic-scientist-testifies-fibers-victims-hair-similar-distant-carpet But then another case uses “unique” to describe a broken car headlight. http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/forensic-expert-certain-car-on-cctv-belonged-to-sheffield-man-accused-of-murder-1-7305526 What the “CSI effect looks like on “Bones” TV show. Accuracy in forensics not a … Continue reading
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