Category Archives: Forensic Science

#Forensics: Syrian Refugee Develops Dentistry Tech to ID Gender of War Victims

Finally, some legitimate research in the area of forensic dentistry. Kudos to Univ of Dundee and this young researcher. Syrian refugee Rawad Qaq has unveiled his Sex Calculator, which could help forensic scientists predict the sex of a skull. — … Continue reading

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Forensics: Decertified DNA mixture methods affected 1300 convictions in the US.

An in-house DNA mixture program that has been abandoned by the NYCME’s office gets a jaundiced review by an ex-DA judge. Unfortunately, the legal and political barriers to its effect on past convictions is left up to lawyers to consider. … Continue reading

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Forensics: Public familial DNA companies secretly aiding the FBI

Good thread on law enforcement’s expanding use of public corporations who have access to public DNA databases. Customers now worried. But its a business opportunity for one new company. We should add some convers on false positive or otherwise misleading … Continue reading

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Forensics: let’s hear it for another biased and messed up Jack the Ripper case

This time its the Journal of Forensic Sciences that gets the gong for publishing a one-sided example of fumbled assumptions and disconnected exaggerations abt mitochondrial DNA. https://www.kxan.com/news/jack-the-ripper-identity-questioned-by-texas-state-research-professor/

Posted in Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, DNA profiling, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias | Tagged | 1 Comment

Forensics: Decomp measurements linked to Post mortem interval..

Looking for answers in all the “right” places. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X19301421

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Forensics: Botched digital measurements led to 11 years in prison. New trial ordered.

DAs expert used a fancy software program to analyze a robbery vid. He botched it. The perp is short. This man is 6’3″. A jailhouse snitch lied during his trial. The DA was mute during all of it. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2019/09/12/texas-man-subject-of-netflix-doc-ordered-released-after-11-years-behind-bars/

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime lab scandal, CSI, expert testimony, Forensic Science, Forensic Science Bias, junk forensic science | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Forensics: Botched digital measurements led to 11 years in prison. New trial ordered.

Forensics: Hearings | Hearings & Legislation | House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

Hearings | Hearings & Legislation | House Committee on Science, Space and Technology — Read on science.house.gov/hearings/raising-the-bar-progress-and-future-needs-in-forensic-science Best minds in the business. Mostly female. Quite nice.

Posted in AAFS, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, CSI, Forensic Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Forensics: In depth look at bogus pattern-matching police labs. Stinson bitemark exoneration compared to toolmark conviction under appeal in Colorado’s Genrich case.

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-crisis-of-american-forensics/

Posted in Bite Marks, Bitemarks, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime, Crime lab scandal, criminal justice, exoneration, Forensic Science, junk forensic science, wrongful convictions | Leave a comment

Forensics: Physics makes important inroads to outdated blood spatter expertise.

This is a well referenced look at BPA. The perspective is clearly science-based and unfettered by practitioner assumptions and biases. Rather refreshing, to put it mildly, and it also uncovers how BPA experts don’t agree with each other on basic … Continue reading

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Looking at a Revolution? Getting Forensics Out of Law Enforcement

Many reform ideas in this series of Q&A to forensic and legal experts by the WaPo’s Radley Balko. All are logical and very practical. Prosecutors must be gagging. Here is a quote: Chris Fabricant, the Innocence Project Easiest reform: Eliminate … Continue reading

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