Category Archives: Forensic Science Bias

Junk Science in the US and the UK – Hands across the sea

  The blog starts on how scientific arguments about DNA (and everything else dealing with forensics) within the US courts are so heavily affected by legalisms which allow one state (in this newest case NJ) to accept the opinion of another state (NY … Continue reading

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Forensics: Politicos and Prosecutors run amuck protecting their interests in running US crime labs

A fully developed expose’ by William C. Thompson of the  University of Irvine. He expounds the ‘sub rosa’ motivations of the DC big wigs who this year fired the managers and legal counsel of one of the first independent crime … Continue reading

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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

Posted in Brown shooting evidence, CSI, expert testimony, Forensic Science Bias | Leave a comment

More DNA PR on hair from Australia. Why don’t we hear about the data?

Once more, we get  a university talking about “great breakthroughs” in forensic analysis. This one is abut collecting “trace” DNA from hair shafts (i.e “shed hair”) which “improves success rates” not seen using prior methods. My main gripe is that these … Continue reading

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Forensics: From the New York Legal Aid Society’s DNA UNIT – The latest and the best news

Connect with them @LegalAidNYC   A New York Trial Court precludes LCN and FST evidence after extensive Frye Hearing litigated by the Legal Aid Society’s DNA Unit (New York Law Journal)Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Mark Dwyer issued a written decision precluding … Continue reading

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The rise of the Innocence Project was based on DNA and a fractured system of forensic science

I have been perusing threads in the press concerning dialogue of forensic practitioners about the gaps and misapplications of their forensics in the US criminal justice system.  There aren’t many.  For the most part, there are a vocal few within the forensic communities … Continue reading

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

Forensics: Child abuse research: multiple fractures possible from single impact : animal study.

EAST LANSING – The years that Todd Fenton, Roger Haut and their research team spent smashing infant pig skulls in a lab at Michigan State University could change the way forensic scientists interpret skull fractures in children and the way … Continue reading

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Forensics : DNA inconsistencies slowly are rising into public view

It’s not only pattern analysis that can be fallible – how about DNA? Its mostly about DNA mixtures, stat protocols and inconsistency of multiple analysts. via @ForensicOdont Read more. A commercial lab’s technical paper has more on this. “Mixture interpretation. … Continue reading

Posted in criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, DNA mixtures, DNA profiling, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias | 1 Comment

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 | Leave a comment

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

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