Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
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…

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Why a city auditor wants a crime lab “independent” from his local Denver police department

After singing its praises, Denver City Auditor suggests moving crime lab Maybe this Denver city administrator is reading the forensic news. He talks about the public’s trust and new forensic “sophistication.” A very well-crafted statement. “This recommendation is in no … Continue reading

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Update on ‘Baby Tyler’ Iowa death case. Crime fighting in the UK and AU comes up zip

  Update: A classic example of legal/forensic relationship disharmony. Here are issue clarifications and further discussion from earlier CSIDDS blogs about an Iowa state medical examiner court hearing and trial testimony about cause and manner of death in a murder case. … Continue reading

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Pathologist gets spanked for using defendant’s statements as basis for determining cause and manner of death

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
This case defines some limits to what a medical expert can consider in rendering  “with medical certainty” testimony. This should be a message to the odontologists who rely on…

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Pathologist gets spanked for using defendant’s statements as basis for determining cause and manner of death

This case defines some limits to what a medical expert can consider in rendering  “with medical certainty” testimony. This should be a message to the odontologists who rely on law enforcement to determine how many people should be considered potential “biters” … Continue reading

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Private Funding for Forensic Science Assessments: A Quality and Gap Analysis

Comment: Notable in this announcement from the AAAS are the echoes of  previous narratives from various US forensic governmental oversight committees such as the National Research Council (NAS), NCFS, Congressional subcommittees and such. Funding of forensic science research is paltry in comparison … Continue reading

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How a death row exoneree got to be on a conviction integrity commission

How a death row exoneree got to be on a forensic integrity commission tasked to ferret out wrongful convictions.  Terrorism attack in Tunisia brings immediate forensic and law enforcement response from the UK. Local medical examiner for two counties investigated … Continue reading

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Don’t mistake the technique for its content.

Originally posted on Eye of the beholder:
You know the adage, “Don’t miss the forest for the trees”? Analogous to bitemark “experts” with their advanced software and photo enhancement technology claiming it’s “science”. The testimony of the seeming bitemark “expert”…

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A parable for battling forensic experts : Albert Einstein’s “stalker” named Philipp Lenard

Read about Einstein vs. Lenard at the The Raw Story This has a forensic ‘science’ connection, from a historical POV of long ago, but this quote………… “The story of Philipp Lenard reminds us that even scientists of the very highest caliber sometimes … Continue reading

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#Forensics : See how the monolithic US legal system responds to changes in DNA statistics

See a very complete analysis of the facts and the aftermath of the FBI crime lab recent revision of  its pop stats on DNA RMPs in this attached article. This is the classic example of forensic science updates that may/may … Continue reading

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