14 year old executed in 1944 gets conviction tossed, Forensics reform, 1st A rights of a police chief takes a hit, and some forensic research

Posted on December 18, 2014 by csidds

Forensic reform

Statistics and the NIST Committee on forensic science. Apparently each working group (OSAC) gets its own stat person.   “This subcommittee will focus on standards and guidelines related to examination of body fluids or tissues for the presence and quantity of substances such as drugs or poisons in ante- or post-mortem casework. Evidence examples include those substances and metabolites following ingestion, and might include physiological specimens such as blood, urine, hair, teeth, bone, spinal fluid, and organ and muscle tissue.” No doubt the NIST bitemark sub-committee will have to get their own copy of “Statistics for Dummys.” This group has no data in its literature to analyze.

Criminal Justice

George Stinney was 14 years old at the time of his execution in 1944. 70 years ago.  Conviction reversed this year.

Richmond CA police chief gets grief from his police union over his attending a non-violent “BlackLivesMatter” rally. 

Cases in the News

Sydney gunman shot one of the two victims at the Lint chocolate shop. 

Ex state non-forensic pathologist’s shaken baby theories get tossed in court appeal. “So much wrong with Shaken Baby conviction that it was overturned w/o relying on junk science argument” : http://wapo.st/1C0bWn2  : http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/12/16/mississippi-supreme-court-overturns-conviction-involving-steven-hayne-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Forensic Research Compilation

Comment: Forensic science news release generally are published by the researchers’ university public relations departments. Statements claiming effectiveness and accuracy are frequent. Proofs of repeat testing by other academic colleagues are few. This lends itself to those active in the forensic reform groups saying that forensics is not strictly classic science. It seems the the forensic culture is more akin to innovators coming up with one-off products with only in-house findings. 

CT scans could bolster unidentified remains cases. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140114103017.htm

Forensics: Fingerprint problem on ATM bills and receipt thermal paper solved? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528204217.htm …

Forensics: Inexpensive fluorescent DNA sensors. “sensitive enough to detect individual mismatches between the bases” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140429125506.htm …

Forensics: Gender and ethnicity identity from hair. Claims 100% rate. Already suggested to law enforcement? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142542.htm …

 

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Junk Science takes a hit from the Mississippi Supreme Court : Plus real and fake forensic research

Posted on December 16, 2014 by csidds

Junk Science takes a hit from MS?? Incredible. Finally. There has been a very long forensic credibility battle in that state with its ex-non-certified pathologist at the epi-center. This battle includes bitemark convictions from his colleague Michael West. 

Mississippi Supreme Court overturns conviction involving Steven Hayne, and Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Bacterial profiling from pubic hair. Real science. Has some limitations. 

Max Houck, a lead forensic scientist at Consolidated Forensic Laboratory, a government organization based in Washington, D.C., agrees. But he also points out that it might be more difficult to use this method if there has been previous sexual contact between the victim and the subject, in the case of abusive ex-spouses, for example. “Human pubic hairs could be of potentially significant use in cases where the victim and subject have not had previous sexual contact.”

As opposed to this typical “forensic research”news release from  it’s “Creator.”

100% accurate. OMG. Forensic Voice Stress Analyser more powerful than polygraph as lie detector : by its Creator.

NJ Exoneree Gerald Richardson pledges to help others.  Two bitemark experts involved in his conviction. Both members of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Both members of the American Board of Forensic Odontology. 

Richardson copy

Topics the American Academy of Forensic Sciences seems to keep missing at its convention. (Feb 2015 in Orlando FLA).

American Academy of Forensic Science experts’ and its members’ contribution to wrongful convictions and the death penalty 

Prosecutorial misconduct affirmed. DA unlikely to be sanctioned by the AZ State Bar association. That would be “unAmerican” in some cities down there. 

“Egregious Pros Misconduct.” Appeals court dismisses Debra Milke murder charges

Posted in AAFS, criminal justice, prosecutorial misconduct | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Vigil for the CA 11: Factually Innocent, Families ask for clemency

Posted on December 14, 2014 by csidds

I attended this candle lit vigil with families of 11 prisoners in Cailfornia prisons. These cases show how false forensic science, inept lawyers and the legal system’s inadequate response to new science needs to be reviewed by Governor @JerryBrown. These cases have been gleaned from 30,000 applications sent to the @CA_Innocence project over 15 years.
abc7.com/news/california-innocence-project-march-for-release-of-11-inmates/435943

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, junk forensic science, prosecutorial misconduct, William Richards Exoneration Case | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Followup : See who the AAFS/NIST has reviewing junk forensic bitemark “science”

Posted on December 13, 2014 by csidds

https://csidds.com/2014/10/30/the-nist-forensic-science-commission-lays-an-egg-with-its-bitemark-study-group/

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American Academy of Forensic Science experts and the death penalty

Posted on December 13, 2014 by csidds

Death sentences: A trail of dubious contributions to justice: questionable and in some cases, erroneous bitemark opinions.

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Forensics : Expecting too much from Forensic Evidence does not Guarantee Justice : Plus WORLD Forensic News

Posted on December 11, 2014 by csidds

30% of DNA exonerations have occurred after suspects’ false confessions. Here is another one out of Buffalo, NY.  Conviction is vacated for 2 murders.

Forensics : Expecting too much from Forensic Evidence does not Guarantee Justice US.

All but 4 European MH17 victims identified.  Denmark.

More costs for taxpayers in wrongful conviction cases. Chicago. Most recent study of Illinois taxpayer exoneration costs is staggering.  US.

Ohio man exonerated after spending 27 years in prison. Cops coerced testimony from a 12 year old to put him in prison.  

bridgeman

Top Prosecution officials found to have strange concepts about Justice. Canada.

Overlooked audiotape of Michael Brown shooting.  US.

Clevelan police avoid mandatory DNA testing for felony arrests. US.

Jordanian forensic experts to help in Palestine. Middle East crises. 

 

Posted in criminal justice, Michael Brown forensic science, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Recent Rash of US Exonerations Only the Surface: Many More Remain Wrongfully Imprisoned : Forensic Science contributions

Posted on December 10, 2014 by csidds

 PrintandBook

Jeffrey Deskovic, an exoneree himself (NY), writes about the increase in wrongful convictions being overturned in the US from a very personal perspective. He focuses on the root causes of these injustices such as incentivised witnesses (aka snitches), prosecutorial misconducti, dishonest judges and cops, and forensic fraud and junk science like bitemarks.

His statements about forensic junk science and fraud are particularly telling and parallel what I have posted about. here, here, and here.

It is no surprise that forensic associations like the American Academy of Forensic Sciences refuses to admit that they sponsor one sub-group which still promulagates ‘bitemark identification’ (without the use of DNA) in courts. My post on that subject is here.

This is an excerpt from Deskovic’s article. His POV is clear.

Junk science. For 40 years, FBI experts have testified in court about “bullet lead analysis” a procedure in which bullets found at a crime scene are tested for arsenic, tin, silver, and other contaminants or additives, and the findings were compared to analysis of bullets found in the possession of suspects. These experts claimed to be able to link one bullet to others from the same production run. For at least 20 years, FBI officials knew that there were no scientific underpinnings to this junk science — that in fact, there were no studies shown to determine how significant a “match” was.

and

In 2013, it was revealed that in 27 death penalty cases, FBI forensic experts may have exaggerated the scientific conclusions that were drawn from a so-called “match” between hair found at a crime scene and hair from a defendant.

Tire tracks, footprints, and bite marks are also junk science.

Deskovics’s full Huffington Post article is here.

Posted in exoneration, junk forensic science | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Nasty World of forensic dentistry bitemark opinions – Forensic News from the US

Posted on December 9, 2014 by csidds

The Nasty world of bitemark opinions.

At least five cases of forensic lab misconduct in the last 2 years.

Some ballistics and trace exams discontinued as “too time consuming.” Most trace is merely associative  (not identifying a specific person or object.) Also means labs can’t test everything that comes through the door. GSR now tested “only if someone has been shot.” Still doing “some” trace hair analysis. No further details are provided. No idea if that means DNA from hair follicles. I  hope they are not using the debunked FBI “hair matching” techniques.

No trace evidence linked Rashad Stoves to slayings of 5 men but witnesses placed him at scene  appears to be sufficient proof of guilt in this case.

When junk forensic dental “science” gets exposed, who will aid its victims? The Innocence Projects.

Much of the forensic evidence used against him has been revealed to be nothing more than junk science 

Why Forensic science isn’t science

 

 

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Recent forensic science news and cases from around the world

Posted on December 8, 2014 by csidds

CASES

False hope w/out DNA. Bitemarks hold key to solving Hamilton car park assault case

Forensic Experts Identify Remains of One of Mexico’s Missing Students. Forensics Team in Mexico Confirms Remains of 1 of 43 Missing Students- Why are there no US experts in on this??

Students were incinerated. 

Oldest Forensic case in history finally closed: Leicester remains belong to King Richard III…

SCIENCE

The use of saliva in establishing a person’s alcohol content –

 New Paper: ESDA®-Lite Collection of DNA from Latent Fingerprints on Documents

Decomposition of a body 

Forensic science oversight panel to meet with new Delaware chief medical …

It is very clear that ‘secret science’ is not in the interests of transparent justice…

Decrease in ‘expensive’ forensic post mortems – 

Hard questions after litany of forensic failures at US labs | Chemistry World:

Police and forensic science

New Police Chief article looks at how improving forensic science increases the odds of catching criminals. Mentions the 2009 NAS report citing problems with bitemark Is, balistcis, tool marks, an fingerprints.

 Criminal Law and forensic evidence

Potential exoneree hopes to do public service. 

Does  UK Forensic Science have this problem ? 

The UK’s complex cold case specialists. Forensic Access:

 

 

 

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Top #Forensic Blogs of 2014

Posted on December 7, 2014 by csidds

And the Most Popular : Forensic Science Misconduct: A Dark and Cautionary Tale | @csidds http://wp.me/p2BoEX-lv via @csidds

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