Tag Archives: forensic examiner error

Testimony of an FBI hair analyst

Nothing cuts through the current hyperbole of forensic science reform debates and counter debates than reading what the “elite” of the FBI hair comparison people actually said in US courtrooms. The following is testimonial evidence from an actual case. Things … Continue reading

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The Forensic Science Weekly: The strange, disturbing and “appalling.”

When the “elite” of the FBI fall from “grace.” Op-ed. I might also used the term “arrogant.” A recent news release states a new law enforcement think-tank-forensic-institute will “shore-up” hair comparisons and bitemarks.” This totally ignores the physical limitations of hair … Continue reading

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Forensics: Fire Chief resigns after falsifying evidence, FBI hair debacle casts generalized doubts, TX leads in wrongful convictions and wants a fix

Fire chief resigns after lying about his credentials and arson evidence.  Forensic hair analysis: Evidence of more federal governmental dysfunction  How pizza can be tested for DNA evidence. Protocol used in Wash DC family murder investigation. Washington man imprisoned by … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, Bad Forensic Science, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, DNA mixtures, exoneration, Exoneration costs, expert testimony, Forensic Science Bias, Forensic science misconduct, forensic science reform, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “gut feeling basis of traditional forensic sciences” and “Quick Picks” from @wrongconvblog

The “gut” feeling in fingerprint matching ‘science?” “Gut feeling is responsible for a lot more of the accuracy than many people think, even the experts themselves,” says Dr Matthew Thompson of the University of Queensland School of Psychology” Great links from … Continue reading

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Jack the Ripper DNA ID debunked by Sir Alec Jeffries : #Forensic #experts get sued in $30M wrongful conviction suit

In the world of 2014 forensic news, this story should endup in the top 10. A book writer’s chief science consultant to the claim ole Jack was the immigrant Kominski just took a hit from a number of scientific notables … Continue reading

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FORENSICS in FOCUS @csidds |Feb 28 | Dirty work in the Georgia Accredited DNA lab leads us where? The “Stocking Strangler” case.

Police CRIME LABSs “WHEN ALL THE DNA IS GONE. WE STILL CARRY ON” This mantra translates to,  “trust us we finally got it right.” The subject is the “gold standard” of  forensics: DNA processing. From the Georgia state managed crime … Continue reading

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Forensic Focus Picks – ADVANCED FORENSIC REFORM BILL INTRODUCED – Science, News Trends and the Law

The response to my last blog expanding  to multi-disciplinary forensic science topics has been encouraging. Trends are evolving rapidly in the external scrutiny of forensics by media and Congressional/governmental entities. There is still a paucity of forensic research to report … Continue reading

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#Forensic Testimony: Science, Law and Expert Evidence: A Book Review

The latest review of this book is by Professor Jane Taylor, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah NSW 2011, New South Wales, Australia. The book is published by Elsevier/Academic Press and is available on Amazon.com. Forensic Testimony by C. Michael Bowers. This is a … Continue reading

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Forensic Testimony: Once again, exoneration cases support unreliability of experts trial opinions

Take some time (or more than one visit to get through the information) and follow this link (Forensic Testimony) to a greater understanding on why credibility for some forensic experts is waning or finally being extinguished. The chart posted above … Continue reading

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Costs of wrongful convictions

The financial connection between wrongful convictions and the costs to taxpayers is a fairly new topic for media discussion. It is rather localized (a $10 million civil award 2013 case from Chicago) in information as nationwide statistics do not appear … Continue reading

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