Latest News on Forensic Science and Criminal Law
-
Join 228 other subscribers
Tag Archives: forensic examiner error
A real bad day…Judge tells Texas state forensic examiner to stop testifying in DWI case
Texas has a mish-mash of regional crime labs which cross pollinate into counties without a dedicated facility. Some are accredited by the ASCLD. Here is its’ police and commercial lab corporation’s approved list of Texas labs. I don’t see Collins County … Continue reading
Judges’ College puts together #PCAST forensics and FRE 702 rules
The National JudicialCollege dives deep into explaining how overblown “feature-comparing” experts and actually ANYONE attesting to their “science” can be corralled through using rules within the Federal Rules of Evidence. I think they must have read from all the ABFO … Continue reading
BIte Mark Matchers now under scrutiny by the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board
THE FIELD: BITE-MARK COMPARISON Forensic dentist Richard Souviron, during a police workshop, urges caution over bite-mark comparisons: “You’ve got to be real careful with this kind of evidence.” Tribune photos by Alex Garcia. Tribune photo by Alex Garcia Yes, … Continue reading
Forensic racism suggests “blinding” case details as a cure.
Here’s a new level of nastiness. The above is an example of scientific racism reported from the forensic anthro post Ancestry, Race and Anthropology. A new example from Iowa. From the Desmoines-Register A thistle to former state forensic scientist Amy Pollpeter, who expressed blatantly racist sentiments on social … Continue reading
Forensic Standards bill could “transform” forensic science and get rid of bitemark IDs
A new bill introduced last week in the US Congress could put some “teeth” into creating and then enforcing federal standards for the practice of 11 forensic disciplines either criticized or debunked (aka bitemark pattern testimony) by the 2009 National … Continue reading
‘Vindictive Prosecution’ hangs over DA reluctant to not recharge Bill Richards
Today’s article from Jordan Smith at The Intercept provides history and new developments to Bill Richards’ 23 year journey from a murder conviction to freedom despite District Attorney Mike Ramos unerringly “stupid” threats of re-investigating Richards for the murder of … Continue reading
Shaken baby assumptions at the core of scheduled Texas execution
The case of a soon to be executed Texas inmate shows how in 2002 “shaken” baby injuries were taken as a given by both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Even after Robert Roberson’s conviction in 2002, his appellate counsel didn’t take … Continue reading
Unfounded calculation assumptions in LifeCode DNA testimony: 2016 SC ruling in Simmons
VACATED IN PART AND REMANDED A telling tale with highlights of the court’s opine on DNA testimony from the commercial DNA lab LifeCodes reveals what forensic malfeasance or misconduct or “puffing results” really means. Lets say that over selling “science” … Continue reading
Illinois crime lab bill created to seal faulty testing from public view
Cases of government-run crime labs “hiding” forensic errors and gaffs from criminal defendants and the public got a boost in Illinois this week……We can use this to clearly understand who and how prosecutors and LE PACs control the legislators in … Continue reading
Posted in costs of wrongful convictions, Crime lab scandal, criminal justice reform, Exoneration costs, forensic fraud, forensic science misconduct
Tagged American Academy of Forensic Science, Bad forensic science, forensic examiner error, Forensic science, junk science, wrongful convictions
Leave a comment
California Supreme Court determines advances of forensic science sufficient to vacate conviction
Its all about 2 bitemark opinions from a murder trial. In an unanimous 7-0 decision, the court’s holdings vacates Bill Richards murder conviction from 1997 and makes his imprisonment since 1993 subject to release from prison and opens up future exoneration … Continue reading
FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends 