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Category Archives: wrongful convictions
Forensic Science Misconduct: A Dark Cautionary Tale @csidds
Let’s start with a quick review of a few cases related to the subject of forensic science failure and accompanying misconduct (Section 1). This involves law enforcement officers, CSIs, prosecutors and prosecutorial experts in the multiple criminal justice systems: All … Continue reading
Posted in Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, CSI, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Science, junk forensic science, National FOrensic Science Commission, wrongful convictions
Tagged American Academy of Forensic Science, AMERICAN BOARD OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY, Forensic science, forensic science misconduct, Radley Balko, wrongful convictions
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Forensics in Focus | March 3 | Forensic science Reform bill needs your support | Get involved
I am thrilled to share that the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee just scheduled a markup for Senator Rockefeller’s S. 2022, The Forensic Science and Standards Act of 2014, on Wednesday, March 5th. A markup is a hearing of the full Senate … Continue reading
FORENSIC FOCUS | Links to Science, News Trends and the Law
FORENSIC FOCUS LINKS: Monday Feb 17, 2014 FORENSIC CASES, RESEARCH AND TRAINING with some criminal justice. 1. Register for Tuesday Feb 18 webcast presentations at the AAFS annual meeting. Topics are NIJ funding grantees forensic projects and DIY funding opportunities. … Continue reading
FORENSICS | The Hon. Harry T. Edwards, co-chair of the NAS 2009 report on forensics, speaks to the Commission on Forensic Science
Last week, Judge Edwards had a few comments regarding the tasking challenges facing the newly constructed Committee on Forensic Science. He’s the fellow who has spoken so clearly on the aftermath of the NAS forensic report that voiced scientific disappointment … Continue reading
Bitemarks and Wrongful Executions: Law Prof Considers the Connection
A law professor has an impressive blog post that elaborates on the dangers of bad forensic science leading to executions of innocent defendants. Read it here. He also has a few things to say about bitemark identification. A recent bitemark … Continue reading
FORENSICS | Nature (prestigious science magazine) releases “Faulty Forensics Under Fire” about Bitemark Unreliabilty
The Nature piece starts with this picture and a following caption. “There is little evidence that bite marks on a crime victim’s skin allow reliable identification of the perpetrator.” For those who think the National Commission on Forensic Science is … Continue reading
FORENSICS | Review of questionable research on bite marks. US taxpayers’ $715,000 funded it.
In a recent post, I promised to do a review of this promised-to-be-published “paradigm proof” from a Marquette University news release which revealed a “silver bullet” forensic cure to bite marks’ spotty history. The caption for the news release is … Continue reading
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bad Forensic Science, Bitemarks, Forensic Science, junk forensic science, National FOrensic Science Commission, wrongful convictions
Tagged ABFO, AMERICAN BOARD OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY, junk science, National Institute of Justice, NIJ, waste of taxpayers' money, wrongful convictions
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FORENSICS | National Commission on Forensic Science Publishes Bowers’ Comments on Bite Mark Accreditation
On Friday, January 31, 2014, the NCFS published their agenda for its one and one-half day meeting starting next week. The Commission allowed public comments regarding the panel’s tasks and accepted C. Michael Bowers DDS JD documentation regarding the status of … Continue reading
FORENSICS | Should We Rejoice? U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Experts to First-ever National Commission on Forensic Science
Here’s a list of the commissioners appointed to this NIST forensic review group. I find no pro active or judicial/scientific empowerment allowed to their future findings and recommendations. This impotence is much like what happened to the National Academies of … Continue reading
FORENSICS | Richardson Bite Mark case exposes ABFO experts’ assurances as folly
Being “tough on crime” is a cliche used by some involved in politics, law enforcement, and used by certain forensic practitioners. I prefer the phrase “smart on crime.” Both may sound similar, but the “smart” inference means that forensic developments, … Continue reading
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, Forensic Science, wrongful convictions
Tagged AAFS, ABFO, bite marks, Bitemarks, DNA, DNA profiling, innocence project, junk science, Radley Balko, wrongful convictions
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