Tag Archives: criminal justice

Proactive DA takes on issue of 600 cases involving chemist with drug addiction

This DA doing the right thing quickly. “From various parts of the country over the years have come stories about prosecutors and courts reluctant to overturn convictions even when defendants’ rights have been violated or when key evidence subsequently proved … Continue reading

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Genetic ‘Stop and Frisk’ not such of a magic bullet after all – Familial DNA issues

  It seems that most police sciences get validated (at least some do) AFTER the cops start using it. While DNA profiling is considered the ‘gold standard’ for identification (not DNA mixtures, however),  this run-up to its use as a … Continue reading

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Bitemark pattern used to overturn case against New Orleans defendant

Once again, an ABFO dentist uses bitemark patterns to persuade a judge that there is  ‘science’ behind skin injuries and tooth comparisons. This time is to say the defendant’s teeth “didn’t match.” A new trial was ordered. http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_49cb7944-13fe-11e7-8dc6-9fe2d1aa4f30.html  

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Erin Murphy on NY State’s adoption of familial DNA profiling

Familial testing means that, depending on what the police decide on the necessary number of alleles that “match,” law enforcement will look into cousins, siblings, parents and unknown relatives who are in databases that are largely unregulated. Law Prof Erin … Continue reading

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Speakers before House Judiciary on Forensic Sciences

March 28, 2017 ‘To Examine the State of Forensic Science in the United States’ Four prepared statements to be discussed in DC. There are four presenters (read the last one FIRST): Victor Weedn: has a ‘politically correct’ statement about the … Continue reading

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Framing the Innocent with planted #Forensics evidence and lying cops

Not just a myth or a fictional plot line. This article starts in Cleveland OH and references other examples where people ‘of color’ with criminal histories get thrown into jail. In Cleveland, three police went there too. It’s called ‘framing’ … Continue reading

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Objections and questions on the feds taking over total management of US forensic science standards

Date:  March 14, 2017 Re:  Comments Concerning Proposed Office of Forensic Science within the DOJ To: AAFS Board of Directors From the following AAFS Jurisprudence Section members: Peter Neufeld Barry Scheck Christine Funk Hon. Christopher Plourd Hon. Pam King Hon. … Continue reading

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Fifty years of teaching Scientific Forensics in US Law Schools – More is needed

Forensics and criminal law are subjects that are increasingly being included in mainstream legal training in the US. There are prestigious law schools that have risen to the challenges that, to some of us, seems obvious. Major changes have occurred … Continue reading

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Already in use in Germany, voice recognition software ID’s a person’s ethnicity?

Need some tips about the excessive hope in digital comparisons of a person’s language dialect? This has been going on in the EU for years. Linguist’s now use it for their opinions on refugee status. Who tests them for reliability? … Continue reading

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Turnaround times for rape kit testing are abysmal – Crime labs Forensics overloaded with drugs

Here’s a look at police crime labs around the US abilities to produce timely rape kit testing. One might infer that DNA testing of other crimes and the ‘war on drugs’ has sapped funding capabilities. I don’t hear the US … Continue reading

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