Another reviewer looks at “Forensic Science Reform: Protecting the Innocent”

Posted on January 22, 2017 by csidds

This one is from Brandon Garrett, Professor of Law at University of Virginia. He is the author of “Convicting the Innocent: Where Prosecutions Go Wrong. (2011).

Reviews

“There is a revolution in forensic science in this country and this book provides a practical, detailed, and truly fascinating guide to how much has changed in the field.  Students, lawyers, and scientists will all find this book eye opening, from its explanations of research to the case studies describing how forensics can go wrong.” — Brandon L. Garrett, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Our title is available on Amazon .

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Book Review: “Forensic Science Reform – Protecting the Innocent”

Posted on January 21, 2017 by csidds

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Another look into our new book. I’m proud to be part of progress within forensic science. Congratulations to all our contributing authors!

Phil Locke's avatarWrongful Convictions Blog

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For the last 8 1/2 years, I have been working to ‘help’ overcome the devastating effects that incorrect, bogus, and non-scientific forensics has had on our justice system in producing wrongful convictions.  And I’ve also been writing about it on this blog since its inception.

C.M. (Mike) Bowers has teamed up with Wendy Koen to produce a definitive work addressing many of these issues. Mike is forensic dentist who has been at the forefront of debunking the junk science of bite mark analysis. Wendy Koen is a former attorney with the California Innocence Project. Mike also maintains the website CSIDDS dedicated to promoting truth, reason, logic, and actual science to the discipline of forensics.

The data below from the National Registry of Exonerations shows that false or misleading forensic evidence is a contributing factor in 24% of all the wrongful convictions logged by the registry to date.

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This book provides…

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Scientific Data Dumps Expanding because of President Trump?

Posted on January 20, 2017 by csidds

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In a world that does not conform to much common sense, some reports exist from December 2016 and today that DJT’s Executive Branch admin (which started today) poses a threat to existing weather and environmental data. Does this supposition apply elsewhere in the realm of governmental controlled research and criminal justice data? What about forensic grants and funded experimentation and social justice research?

Just askin’.

By the way, right after the 45th president was christened this morning, the White House website on climate change was junked according to followers on Twitter. (caveat emptor)

Disappearing WH climate change website: (CNBC today).

Scientist are frantically copying weather data, fearing it would vanish under Trump. Washington Post.  (Dec 2016).

The Verge (Dec 2016)

Posted in AAFS, Forensic Science Bias, forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Microorganisms at crime scene to Identify PPL?

Posted on January 19, 2017 by csidds

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Can you imagine collecting this info at a Chuck e Cheese crime scene? OMG.

As usual, “detection outstrips interpretation” according to @maxmhouck.

$600 thousand NIJ grant. 

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Crime lab accreditors getting a black eye and lose credibility over Austin lab

Posted on January 19, 2017 by csidds

John Lentini ( http://firescientist.com/) comments to this blog.

There is no valid legitimate accrediting of forensic science laboratories in the United States today.

Say what you do and do what you say and you can be accredited, even if you are practicing Voodoo. ASCLD-LAB only cares if the laboratory is following written procedures. They do not care whether those procedures are valid or generally accepted by the relevant scientific community. A case in point is the Florida Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosives Analysis. Based on a complaint that I filed, ASCLD-LAB sent in two very talented and respected fire debris analysts who agreed that the laboratory finding of gasoline in two cases that I pointed out was not supported by the data. Further, they wrote that the laboratory was using an unwritten protocol that was not generally accepted in the relevant scientific community. The lab’s accreditation for fire debris analysis was suspended in March 2016.

The lab appealed the suspension and the appeal was denied. So what did the lab do? They wrote down their invalid procedure. That satisfied the people at ASCLD-LAB, even though the laboratory refused to institute corrective actions on the two cases where the reviewers found that the laboratory was wrong. Their position is that it is just a difference of opinion, and I and the reviewers were being “too conservative.” ASCLD-LAB let that position stand.

csidds's avatarFORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends

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Nothing like using empirical data to establish CJ problems that are largely ignored by governmental practitioners. A few folks have been been saying this about ANSI/ASCLD for years. Here’s a scandal-in-point. Crime labs.

From the NYC Legal Aid DNA Newsletter @CeliaGivens

The Austin police crime lab ceased all efforts to reopen DNA and serology testing in December 2016 after an audit conducted by the Texas Forensic Science Commission in June revealed the lab’s use of, “unapproved DNA testing procedures, inaccurate quality assurance methods, unqualified lab technicians and management, and clear signs of contaminated evidence.”

In addition to passing the ASCLD inspection in 2015, the Major Cities Chiefs Association visited the lab and issued a report in February 2016 stating, “it was readily apparent that the [Austin police crime] laboratory and its staff upheld the high standards of accreditation.” Three months later the Texas Forensic Science Commission discovered the lab’s errors.

The…

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Crime lab mess redux: Now it’s Alaska’s $90M boondoggle

Posted on January 19, 2017 by csidds

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These stories just keep coming ……. It seems the public’s confidence in the  “theory(ies) of crime detection” appears to be eroding from top ( governmental PCAST deniers) to the bottom. Take your pick on the bottom. Wanna try “Making a Murderer,” Shaken Baby Syndrome, messed up DNA mixtures, Annie Doohkin or bitemarks?

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The “state of the art” crime lab is doing less with more, said the report, based on an investigation by the Division of Legislative Audit conducted in 2016.

“There are fewer services provided after construction of the crime lab than were available prior to construction,” said the report, released Friday. Wait times for evidence test results are not much shorter than they used to be, auditors found.

Untested evidence is still piled up: When auditors visited the crime lab in July 2016, they found that some 74 percent of sexual assault evidence kits had been awaiting testing for more than 30 days. There were long delays in analyzing DNA evidence.

Full story

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Crime lab accreditors getting a black eye and lose credibility over Austin lab

Posted on January 19, 2017 by csidds

Image result for bad science

Nothing like using empirical data to establish CJ problems that are largely ignored by governmental practitioners. A few folks have been been saying this about ANSI/ASCLD for years. Here’s a scandal-in-point. Crime labs.

From the NYC Legal Aid DNA Newsletter @CeliaGivens

The Austin police crime lab ceased all efforts to reopen DNA and serology testing in December 2016 after an audit conducted by the Texas Forensic Science Commission in June revealed the lab’s use of, “unapproved DNA testing procedures, inaccurate quality assurance methods, unqualified lab technicians and management, and clear signs of contaminated evidence.”

In addition to passing the ASCLD inspection in 2015, the Major Cities Chiefs Association visited the lab and issued a report in February 2016 stating, “it was readily apparent that the [Austin police crime] laboratory and its staff upheld the high standards of accreditation.” Three months later the Texas Forensic Science Commission discovered the lab’s errors.

The fact that the lab was approved twice by at least two independent oversight agencies just months before the errors were found has led many to question the legitimacy of these accrediting agencies. While Texas law requires labs to be accredited by ASCLD if their findings will be used in court, experts note that lab accreditation tests are announced well in advance and “[do not] test the quality of a lab’s work –– only that it has protocols and that they are followed.” Former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo added that, “he had depended on the outside reviews to identify and correct concerns he’d received about the facility. That the reviews came back clean…leaves him skeptical of the oversight.”

 

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Anthropology bone measurements studied for data accuracy

Posted on January 18, 2017 by csidds

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An impressive formulative study involving osteometric measurements from multiple examiners across international boundaries. Impressive work and forward thinking regarding ‘shape’ and dimensional accuracy of forensic examiners estimating the age of human remains and other skeletal features.

Anthros independently are leading the way much in the manner suggested by Obama’s Council on Science and Technology’s much maligned ( by law enforcement ) suggestions on scientific methods for forensics. Ironically, this study was funded by the US  DOJ (one of the PCAST deniers).

Evaluation of Osteometric Measurements in Forensic Anthropology. 

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News from in and around the world of Forensics

Posted on January 17, 2017 by csidds

Mortuary training for those so inclined. Drop by on Sat in the UK.  “Looking forward to seeing you.” (the picture shows a mannequin on the table).

Turkish cargo plane flying from Hong Kong crash kills 37.

There is a forensic side to US Senate investigating Donald Trump and Russia communications. The Guardian. 

Those who are disappointed with Barack Obama’s personal think piece in Harvard Law Review talk about why forensic science reform got a real pass in regards to scandal safeguards and non-compliance to the PCAST  recommendations. It’s about ‘rhetoric’ versus the ‘record.’ The Watch. 

 

 

 

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Early into its release, #Forensic Science Reform text goes to the classroom!

Posted on January 16, 2017 by csidds

See our new book at the upcoming #AAFS2017 meeting exhibit hall at the Academic Press/Elsevier booth. Ask for Liz to get the meeting discount.

csidds's avatarFORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends

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A respected under and graduate forensic science program in the UK has introduced copies of our Academic Press/Elsevier text into its reference library and student discussions. Greatly appreciated! Here’s the notice for their students’ new semester.

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Your article of the week

Only published  recently  is  the  text:

Forensic  Science  Reform  (Protecting the Innocent)

The  work  is  written  by  friends  in  the  US and  already  I’ve  arranged for us to have copies in our library, so please take a look if you get chance. This will  add  so  much  vital  context and understanding  of professional  practice  to your studies. I’m sure the authors  will not mind me sharing with you a few pages from this book and hopefully this will whet your appetite to get the book from the library. We’ve been  studying  quite  a  lot  on issues  of  bias,  uniqueness, and  pattern evidence. Likewise, I know that many of you are beginning…

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