Tag Archives: Criminal Justice

The unethical rule of politics in the US justice system described as “The Criminalization of Nearly Everything” + Forensic Science News

“The criminalization of nearly everything.” Podcast by journalist Radley Balko explaining the excessive amount and the maze of state and federal laws being overbroad, vague and nearly indefensible for defendants. This system can overwhelm the “presumed innocent until proven guilty” constitutional principle. This … Continue reading

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Rampant Prosecutorial Misconduct in the US: A Short Media Review

This is a mere sip in the ocean of info on this subject. At a glance, the cases are many, but any semblance of consistent judicial penalties are few.   Prosecutorial misconduct occurs when a prosecutor breaks a law or a … Continue reading

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New strategy in exoneration litigation: The Nullification of Innocence

Nothing is ever over in exoneration litigation, be it from exonerees’ difficulties in re-entering society, or when some DAs and police, with help from their lawyers, continue to chase after the men and women who have wrongfully endured imprisonment from … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, Exoneration costs, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

US Exonerations at a Record High; Cost of one wrongful conviction from 1992 is $4.75 million while others go without

The continuing end game for the people erroneously convicted (usually for homicide) and released after decades in prison continues to be clouded. One man in New York gets $4.75 million.  NYC paid another man $10 million in April, 2014. US exonerations … Continue reading

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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

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 … Continue reading

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

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 … Continue reading

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

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 … Continue reading

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

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 … Continue reading

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An example of the “finality of verdict” mentality of police and DAs in the US : They ‘deep six’ the evidence

Sorry to use the “deep six” phrase (verrry unprofessional) but it surely applies to this growing track record of the various Innocence Project Network (IPN) investigation cases litigating suspected wrongful convictions. They are told the evidence used to convict no … Continue reading

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Junk Forensic Science Personified in the Media : Most Popular Theme of Forensics in Focus

This blog has arrived at 10,500 hits! Its growth seems to be almost exponential since I started FiF a couple years ago. It can’t be a coincidence that this year’s top theme in FiF (determined by WordPress) has to do … Continue reading

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