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Tag Archives: Criminal Justice
US Justice: Incentivising the death penalty for prosecutors’ advancement and political gain
Here we have Radley Balko on Louisiana’s two “hit men for the death penalty” who seem to have run aground on the reef of their own ambition and indifference to what most of us call “justice.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/04/06/in-louisiana-prosecutor-offices-a-toxic-culture-of-death-and-invincibility/
Taking a Look at what a DA’s ‘Conviction Integrity Unit’ can do right
“Late last month, the National Registry of Exonerations reported that the United States had 125 exonerations in 2014, a record high. One of the report’s findings was that 67 of those exonerations – or 54 percent – “were obtained at … Continue reading
Manhattan DA Melissa Mourges redacts 2009 NAS Forensic Report to mislead Frye hearing judge
Following with my previous blog’s theme of prosecutorial misconduct, here is a recent standout in the NYC courts’ process of determining science-affirmed expert testimony versus ‘forensic’ claptrap of a baser kind. This story exposes how lawyers bend facts to suit their … Continue reading
THe NIST Forensic Science Commission Lays an Egg with its Bitemark Study Group. Now its hatching.
OSAC Subcommittee on Ondontology (sic) The original source of this NIST information is here. Other than originally mis-spelling ODONTOLOGY, this NIST subcommittee (OSAC) on Forensic Dentistry should do well dealing with dental identification of unknown human remains, but in the … Continue reading
New Junk Forensic Science comes your way from Alabama
Nothing says ‘forensic science’ better that the state of Alabama. Its evidentiary statutes and case law (stare decisis) contains convictions later overturned by DNA. And, its District Attorneys (Hi there, Steve Marshall, from Marshall County, ALA) allow forensic experts to testify like … Continue reading
Posted in CSI, expert testimony, junk forensic science
Tagged Criminal Justice, Forensic science, junk forensic science
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$9.2 Million Awarded in Wrongful Conviction that Underscores FBI Forensic Problems
Originally posted on Wrongful Convictions Blog:
February 28, 2015 – Yesterday Washington D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz ordered $9.2 million be paid by the District to Kirk L. Odom, 52, in compensation for more than 21 years of…
Stories about Exonerations do work : 2014 the highest ever at 125 : Trial Judge worrying about possible wrongful conviction, shuts down DA
Exonerations of U.S. criminals hit record in 2014: study (Reuters) – The number of U.S. criminals exonerated in 2014 climbed to a record high of 125, in part because of efforts by prosecutors willing to admit their offices made mistakes, … Continue reading
Advances in Forensic Fire Science leads to man’s release after 36 years in prison
The article at the end quotes the defense attorney saying “the criminal justice system works.” Thats one side of the coin, and it may be a bit of a stretch, but is not the entire story. It has taken forensic … Continue reading
FORGET CSI: A Disaster Is Happening In America’s Crime Labs
Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
Media reports about 2 crime lab scandals per month. Its all about “stealin an cheatin and liein” Headline story from April 2014. Its about bungling in crime labs…
US Crime Lab woes = police indifference + weak budgets + slow results + privatization in some States
Just a cross-section of today’s news feeds on the intersection of crime, crime labs, police and justice. Here are the issues. This entire state’s police force keeps ignoring rape kits. Article from West Washington State. The police and crime lab lost … Continue reading
FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends 