Tag Archives: Criminal Justice

Forensic Science Isn’t Science: Why juries hear—and trust—so much biased, unreliable, inaccurate evidence.

  Excellent Op-ED from SLATE on this serious subject relating to US public safety and  the US criminal justice system (CJS). Talks about wrongful executions, various types of cognitive biases and the lack of coordination between CJS, law enforcement and … Continue reading

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Bitemark case spurs judicial reform in CA., intimidation in forensics continues, + more

Forensic reform in California based in part on another bitemark case.  2011: Bitemark experts sue forensic lecturer regarding mention of Bennie Starks’ vacated conviction case. Later became a full exoneration when the DA dropped lesser remaining charges. The plantiffs in … Continue reading

Posted in ABFO, Bitemarks, criminal justice, forensic science reform, William Richards Exoneration Case, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Forensic in Focus: From Witch hunts, criminal justice to some not so real forensic science.

Proof that CJ is not “always right.” TN exoneration joins growing number of innocence cases. Bitemarks included. 1 of 25 are innocent. Prosecutorial misconduct in Japan. Japan’s Authoritarian Criminal Justice System. Tells the Facts, Names the Names  The American Board … Continue reading

Posted in criminal justice, fingerprints, Forensic Science, National FOrensic Science Commission, prosecutorial misconduct | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Forensics in Focus – “Crime lab whistleblowers” and……. -May 22, 2014

PowerPlex 21 DNA test to review cold cases. “Too prevent escalating costs.” New Commission to Regulate Prosecutorial Misconduct . Forensic science? Testimony from “dog scent lineup” sent woman to prison for crime she didn’t commit.  Asset forfeiture for college student pot … Continue reading

Posted in Bad Forensic Science, criminal justice, Exoneration costs, prosecutorial misconduct, Ray Krone bitemark case, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bitemark Identification Debunked? : People are still teaching dentists unreliable forensics

Sunday’s New York Times  piece on how “DNA Changed Forensic Science” was also an allegory. Much is in writing in the media about the deficiencies of bitemark identification. The 2009 landmark National Academies of Science Report on “Strengthening the Forensic … Continue reading

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NY Times: “DNA Analysis Exposes an Inexact Forensic Science” + Bitemark Cases

For over 2 decades, the US press has used “inexact” in writing about certain forensic methods which are used to convict criminal defendants. Bitemark experts included. Here is the latest from the New York Times. It uses the debunked FBI’s … Continue reading

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Comments on the White House 2014 report on “Strengthening Forensic Science”

Opinions from a forensic examiner. This material contains excerpts from the WH 2014 Forensic Science Report .  My comments (in bold) are added in certain sections. The Report excerpts are in italics. See the full report here. =========================================== EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF … Continue reading

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Teaching Science to Judges: Now THAT’S Gonna be Tough. Most studied business @csidds | Forensics in Focus : March 24, 2014

LEAD LINE: Criminal courts must evolve with science. Now THAT’s gonna be tough. Most judges studied business.   Judges do have “colleges” but all are short courses certainly not involving much of anything scientific. They should be called “law colleges.” Flawed … Continue reading

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Based on a notorius bitemark case: CA legislation plans to reject use of junk and outdated forensics in court @csidds

Radley Balko at the Washington Post’s “The Watch” announces California Senate Bill (SB1048) intent to direct the courts to consider scientific progress and reject junk opinions of debunked forensic methods and prosecutorial bias favoring “finality of verdicts.” He speaks to the … Continue reading

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FORENSIC FOCUS LINKS @CSIDDS | Feb 19| WHAT’S OUT THERE TODAY | NEWS, SCIENCE, AND THE LAW

FORENSIC FOCUS @CSIDDS LINKS | Feb 19 | COLD CASE: Oregon suspect linked to AZ cold case as crime scene fingerprints “resubmitted” to the Federally managed archive. I wonder what happened to the first submission? The cold case is 40 … Continue reading

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