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Tag Archives: junk science
Flat-earth concepts of Shaken Baby Syndrome shaken by US judge
For the first time, a New York appellate court has ruled that evidence once used to convict people in shaken-baby cases may no longer be scientifically valid. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/11/16/ruling-alters-legal-landscape-ny-shaken-baby-cases/93952304/ ► Shaken-baby science questioned ► Changing science a tough sell in court UK … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged junk forensic experts, junk science, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Waney Squier
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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
The dregs of forensic “science” living and doing well in Mississippi : Mirrors Donald Trump insults.
I can’t add much to this, other than I’ve seen this guy at work for 23 years. Somehow, in 2012, he couldn’t remember my name isn’t Mike “Collins.” He did get it right this May in a Columbus, Mississippi courtroom. … 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
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
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State liability for faked crime lab testing goes to the jury – Boston
Former state chemist Annie Dookhan was sentenced to three to five years in state prison after she pleaded guilty in 2013 to tampering with evidence and filing false reports. 9:15 am PDT update at the bottom Massachusetts is first up … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Forensic science, junk science, Miscarriage of justice, wrongful convictions
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Oh dear, a defense attorney wants to use a bitemark to counter cold case DNA
A criminal defendant’s attorney says a bitemark on a victim in a 27 year old murder is not his client’s teeth mark but someone else’s. The DA wisely isn’t using any junk bitemark opinions as there is ample DNA to identify the … Continue reading
Dialogue about Science Peer Review in the Courts : Scientific American : Faigman
This is a “how to do it” from Law Professor David L. Faigman at Hastings of UCBerkeley. He shows an extensive review on where the US courts are on this subject and why they are not always reliable. He has some interesting … Continue reading
The odd “reform” coexistence of law enforcement, criminal justice and private forensic orgs
Taking some joy out of Xmas, the Wash Post columnist Radley Balko draws out the pattern of current forensic events focusing on methods review into a broader question. How difficult is it to change multi-governmental institutional culture? He describes how the … Continue reading
Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks
Tagged Criminal Justice, CSI, Forensic science, junk science, National Commission on Forensic Science, Radley Balko
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Forensics: Belfast Detective faked sexual assault tests to reduce caseload
“Working in the Metropolitan Police’s Sapphire sex crimes unit, he failed to send evidence including swabs and a condom for forensic and toxicological tests before recording “negative” results in the crime reporting information system (Cris).” http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/jail-for-detective-who-faked-results-of-forensic-tests-in-sex-crime-inquiries-34276502.html
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