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Forensics: Journals in forensics need a dose of this….
Integrity analyis for publishers and authors. My biggest concerns: 1) doctored data and images. 2) over-reaching conclusions. 3) Influence of funding sources (i.e. commmercial and USDOJ). 4) Cronyism and bias camouflaged as “support for high ethical standards” to mask critics’ … Continue reading
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Forensics and Law: Lack of scientific concerns shows its ugly head in the US Supreme Court
Take a look at this short op-ed about how the highest US court handles junk police forensics. This time the subject is dog sniffing dogs as probable cause for the police to ransack your house. Lawyers need more Science 101 … Continue reading
Forensics: Police Discover Oregon Cold Case Killer Was Executed By Texas In 1999.
A striking example of how serial murderers cross the country killing their victims. It also clarifies how nationwide genealogy DNA databases connect police departments separated geographically and the inadequacies of the US federal CODIS system. https://www.forensicmag.com/news/2019/02/police-discover-oregon-cold-case-killer-was-executed-texas-1999?et_cid=6595071&et_rid=498417758&type=cta&et_cid=6595071&et_rid=498417758&linkid=https%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2f2019%2f02%2fpolice-discover-oregon-cold-case-killer-was-executed-texas-1999%3fet_cid%3d6595071%26et_rid%3d%%subscriberid%%%26type%3dcta
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Tagged criminal justice, forensic genetic research, Forensic science
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How corruption in forensic science is harming the criminal justice system
Forensic science is only as good as the equipment and the people who calibrate it, some high-profile cases indicate. Thousands of innocent people have been harmed. Here’s how. — Read on theconversation.com/how-corruption-in-forensic-science-is-harming-the-criminal-justice-system-108975 Forensic misconduct is a real event. The police … Continue reading
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Forensics: Another court bypasses recanted expert testimony and agrees with a DA being “confused” about what junk forensics means.
Lets say again, that almost any excuse can be used by some courts to deny that junk forensic testimony should be a threshold for a successful request for a new trial. https://www.propublica.org/article/judge-in-joe-bryan-case-rejects-defense-pleas-for-new-trial
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Tagged forensic examiner error, Forensic science, junk forensic science
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Forensics: A good look at an expert’s advocacy. Admitted by some courts, but not all.
This story is about a MD who has a strange habit of giving opinion evidence in child abuse cases cloaked as sound science. Works for him. One court called him out on it. https://www.propublica.org/article/david-ayoub-an-anti-vaxxer-new-crusade
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Tagged expert opinion, forensic examiner error, Forensic science
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Forensics: A response to Trump’s DOJ unabated lies about science and criminal justice
This is written by Betty Lane DesPortes of past AAFS president fame. It is short and to the point. The USDOJ brought out DAG Rosenstein unleashed a load of clap-trap straight from the Inquisition’s Star Chamber. Thanks to Sci Direct … Continue reading
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Forensics: As usual, lawyers influencing “rules” on decision-making truly are ignorant
Forensics, Justice, and the Case for Science-Based Decision Making The US Department of Justice ran this show. Simon Cole at the U of Irvine writes a clear expose’ (at the above link) on the details of a newly adopted series … Continue reading
Forensics: A look at DNA transfer at crime scenes says special training needed due to highly variable interpretations
This pay-for-view article at FSI Genetics should be made free-share for a certain period of time. Its focus on touch-DNA transfer interpretations suggests that the current opinions on DNA circumstances are suspect and standards are lacking. This is a very … Continue reading
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Tagged comparison confirmation bias, DNA profiling, Forensic science
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Forensics: Another example of Cop run DNA lab running against a forensic expert calling their “testing” unreliable.
Don’t ever think that police don’t exert terrific influence over supposed “independent” offices run by forensic pathologists and forensic scientists. This story started in 2016 when a NYC senior ME kicked back on an in-house DNA “experiment” that went into … Continue reading