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A look at the promotion of new forensics – Hair news release
I just love how things have changed in the forensic science arena. One can all of a sudden go from some preliminary studies on human hair protein analysis (aka amino acid content) and then take it on the road to promote its use with merely a sound byte. The core target of this study in the ACS press conference is to reveal ‘leads’ to ‘the life style of prospective criminals’ for investigative uses but not necessarily ‘identification.’
To be fair, the only way forensic science can get funded is to join the pantheon of being ‘tough on crime.’ Funding to promote proper replication studies of popularized police ‘sciences’ in order to prevent their contributing to false convictions is not on NIJ/DOJ agendas. In fact, the USDOJ king pins aren’t concerned about such minor things as the scientific method. Although there is an NIJ public conference going on next week about the statistical underpinnings of forensic opinions presented in US criminal courts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1EHfL3PFBE&feature=youtu.be
And here is another article of similar forensic promotion.
Looking at legal appellate process error rate – and its weak cure
The clamor for ‘error rates’ in forensics seems a strange contrast to the legal system which decides on its admissibility.
Is there a claim of legal malpractice by judges? Read this detailed article on risk management tools available when a judge wanders off the reservation with his/her facts and mistaken logic. The remedial treatment is prolonged and doubtful for defendants.
“Pattern of mis-stated facts found in probe of renowned federal judges”
Excerpt:
Telling “whoppers”
It was his handling of one of the most high profile cases – the conviction of former Illinois Gov. George H. Ryan – that caused Easterbrook to be accused of telling repeated “whoppers.”
Hair drug testing sounds 100% from this lecturer in Dubai
This news brief has nothing but praise.
“Dr Kintz guided the participants on how to store the sample (in an envelope); when the test is best suited to be administered (after ten days of suspected time of consuming drug), how to detect a drug that was not voluntary consumed and how to go over external and internal contamination.”
http://www.gulftoday.ae/portal/e4566425-ffa4-457f-a999-a2813fce1e59.aspx
Looking for more information on hair testing I found this lab speaking its advantages over urine testing.
And in this link, there finally is discussion on the “controversies” in hair drug testing, although it is dated 2003.
And this one from 2010 dealing with 2d hand marijuana contamination.
AAFS Board of Directors votes to not put Forensic Sciences in control of Prosecutors
Directly from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences: It favors a forensic relationship with the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. The alternative was to let the crowd at the US Department of Justice to run things through the National Institute of Justice. Ironically, the NIJ provides the bulk of forensic research money within the US. Remember that the USDOJ leadership and its affiliates (above pic) followed President Trump’s wisdom by firing acting US Attorney General Sally Yates over numerous political and legal conflicts regarding aspects of our Constitution.
Message From the AAFS President — April 2017
On March 7, 2017, the AAFS Board of Directors requested input from the membership on two pieces of legislation proposed by the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO), of which AAFS is a member. The two pieces of federal legislation concerned: (1) the formation of an Office of Forensic Medicine (OFM) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and, (2) the formation of an Office of Forensic Science (OFS) within the Department of Justice (DOJ). Drafts of the two pieces of legislation and a document from the CFSO explaining the intent of the legislation were made available for members to review and members were asked to send comments to their section board representative.
After reviewing the comments from members, the Board of Directors voted on March 30, 2017, to support the legislation forming the OFM within the CDC and not to support the legislation forming the OFS within DOJ.
On behalf of the Board, thank you to all members who provided comments on the proposed legislation. Your participation helps Board members make decisions that guide our path forward.
Suppression of evidence is prosecutor misconduct but not material to the conviction?
The US Supreme Court (the pic is the DC Court of Appeals) is looking at this conviction case. It largely is about testifying eyewitness credibility failures and other available witnesses being known by the prosecution but were hidden from the defense. Lower courts didn’t reverse the conviction based on a low concern that the the noncredible and the hiding affected the trials outcome (8 were convicted, 2 guilty pleas. At the core of this is the effect and interpretation of “What is a Brady violation?”
Article from Honolulu Star Reporter (the article scrolls to the right).
Here we go again. Police Chief takes on problems in his Forensics DNA lab
Chief Hank Stawinski (above) is getting outside auditing help for his county crime lab. This article seems to say that an employee of his had previously been working at the Austin TX crime lab that was shut down last year. Now Prince George county lab has some problems. Concerns in Stawinski’s Maryland crime lab are multiple in scope:
- neglected DNA samples.
- delays in communicating DNA results to police.
- and use of outdated DNA matching software.
- the suspended lab worker is a national auditor of crime labs.
- 6 law enforcement agencies have been notified.
- 19 cases out of 4,200 may be affected.
- the audit started in November and has uncovered more than these……
Article about Prince George, Maryland (it is near Washington, DC)
Dubai Forensic meeting starts with a news article about semi-reliable certainties
This meeting in the UAE sounds interesting. It is named “Spotlight on Forensic Science.” I’m sure some important US forensic folks are attending. Barry Fisher of the AAFS is second speaker on the subject of “admissibility of pattern evidence” and its “challenges.”
Thw article ambles on with a bit of forensic fingerprint history with some doubts about a few impression matching methods, yet the write says the police love forensic kinesiology ‘matching’ (a “kinetic footprint”). The Brit Royal Society calls it ‘forensic podiatry’ and it maybe recognized at some point in the US by the International Association of Identification as this reads more like a proposal. At this point, the IAI footwear certification webpage is silent about much of what is mentioned elsewhere by these forensic podiatric practitioners.
I’m interested in how they deal with false positives and false negatives (sensitivity and specificity) of their matching prowess of numerous physical aspects of human gait function, foot pathology, ridge skin anatomy and external ‘accidental’ features of footwear. I do not see DNA ‘matching’ being discussed as being an available adjunct in their proposal. This is what I could come up from their IAI white paper.
“Evaluation of the significance of matched and mismatched features apparent from the above comparison process with reference to established literature and/or database material as appropriate.”
Here is a bit more info saying it is a three day meeting with an exhibit hall of 80 commercial companies. Here is the 3 day conference proceedings.
This is the part on bitemarks.
The future of bite mark analysis as a forensic evidence in light of the Innocence Project’s recent exonerations
Speaker: Dr. Suhail Al Amad, Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine/Forensic Odontology, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah
Well, THAT sounds promising.
Bravo.
Progressive DAs get backlash from their “lock-em-up” peers like Michael Ramos
Criminal Justice reform District Attorney in Houston, TX. Known as the execution capitol in the US.
http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-district-attorneys-houston-criminal-justice-reform.html?utm_content=buffer824ba&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
District Attorney Aramis D. Ayala of Orlando, FL is getting targeted for realizing that the death penalty is only in play in 0.01% of her criminal cases and is much too expensive to pursue.
Elected Senior Prosecutors and police chiefs are harping on their younger colleagues who want some change to occur in the US Criminal Justice machinery. Changes as in reduction of charges in some non violent acts ( as in shoplifting not being a felony), not charging minors as adults, and eliminating the grossly over arching discriminatory use of the death penalty. Read this article about rumblings and threats within the US political criminal justice system are rising up when the idea of ‘reform’ goes into effect somewhere in their criminal eco-system. All claim various forms of societal “Armageddon” to be imminent. It really means a reduction in their pocket-books for them and their government and privatized prison…
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Left for Dead: DNA lab closes its doors for Missing and Unknown cases. No $$
Program to identify dead and missing across US put on hold
Another example of the inequality towards forensic science (“..in the middle of an upheaval”) being merely a blip on the funding radar of the prancing ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric coming out of the WH (Trump), its associated Department of Justice (Sessions) and National District Attorney’s Association. (Ramos).
Are they “Making America Great Again?”
The largest lab that tests DNA for missing people and unidentified dead no longer will accept DNA samples from law enforcement agencies and crime laboratories across the country because of a nearly $1 million cut to its funding.
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