Forensic ResourcesNorth Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
// by Sarah Olson
Live webinar presented by Ed Brown, Ph.D.April 1, 2021, 1:00 pm60 min of CLE credit anticipated Materials: PowerPoint Slides This one-hour live webinar will provide attorneys having little science training with the basics about the various chemical analysis techniques employed by forensic laboratories and other contract labs around the US. Although a few technical details …
Drug Analysis Webinar: Methodology Used for Presumptive Tests and Common Errors ObservedRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Live webinar presented by Lars DanielApril 15, 2021, 1:00 pm60 min of CLE credit (technology hour) anticipated Our world is becoming increasingly hyper-connected. The objective of the Internet of things is for everything to communicate and interface with everything. From wearable technology and smart home assistants, to Internet connected medical ingestibles and social credit scores, more data …
Digital Evidence – Consumer Electronics and the IoT (Internet of Things)Read More
// by Sarah Olson
This post addresses questions that I get from defenders who are seeking to challenge the admissibility of expert testimony under NC Rule of Evidence 702. I’ll address the nuts and bolts of how and when to make a 702 challenge for attorneys who haven’t yet challenged expert testimony. All defenders should read the NC Superior …
Challenging expert testimony at trial under Rule 702Read More
// by Sarah Olson
Live webinar presented by Spencer McInvailleFeb. 25, 2021, 1:00 pm60 min of CLE credit (technology hour) anticipated Cell phone location evidence is used frequently by law enforcement to show a suspect’s location at the time of a crime. The presenter will provide participants with background information on cellular technology, carrier stored data, how experts obtain …
// by Sarah Olson
Location: a Live NACDL Virtual EventDates: Runs weekly on Thursdays from January 28 – February 18, 2021Cost: Free Program Description: With opioid-related deaths devastating communities across the country, many legislatures, prosecutors, and law-enforcement officers are choosing to treat these accidental overdose deaths as homicides. Despite the fact that there is no empirical evidence to suggest that such prosecutions stem …
// by Sarah Olson
The Legal Aid Society’s DNA Unit is presenting its 6th Annual Forensics Conference on the afternoons of January 27-29. If you have ever wanted to attend, this year is a great opportunity as it is virtual and free to attend. 2020 brought expansion of new technologies (like DNA phenotyping and genealogy), and expansion in the courts’ …
NY Legal Aid Society’s DNA Unit presents 6th Annual Questioning Forensics ConferenceRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Friday, February 5 (9 am to 12 pm)Thursday, February 11 (2 pm to 5 pm) Friday, February 12 (9 am to 12 pm) Forensic evidence, from DNA to fingerprints to ballistics, has never been more important in criminal cases. Actually litigating scientific evidence in the courtroom can be challenging and requires some specialized skills. Duke Law …
// by Sarah Olson
In Dec. 2020, the NC State Crime Laboratory posted a new Forensic Update for criminal justice stakeholders regarding digital evidence. The update addresses how digital evidence should be submitted to the lab and the lab’s examination capabilities. Attorneys should review the Forensic Update to have a better understanding of how the lab will process digital …
Forensic Update from North Carolina State Crime LaboratoryRead More
// by Sarah Olson
In 2020, over one hundred NC criminal defense and parent attorneys, investigators, mitigation specialists, and experts attended forensic webinars sponsored by IDS as we all pivoted to working and learning remotely. It proved to be a great way to provide free-to-attend forensic training during times when we can’t offer in-person training. We anticipate that webinars …
// by Sarah Olson
Live webinar presented by Brittany Bate, Ph.D.Feb. 4, 2021, 1:00 pm60 min of CLE credit anticipated Mental health practitioners oftentimes find themselves engaging in court-ordered and/or forensic work, whether they are being called to testify regarding a therapy client, asked to perform a violence risk assessment, or tasked with reviewing another professional’s work. However, licensed psychologists have ethical …
// by Sarah Olson
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office is hosting a free-to-attend CLE webinar on DNA Mixture Interpretation: Conventional and Software-driven Probabilistic Genotyping Methods. Pending approval by the NC State Bar, this CLE is for 2 general hours (1 of which can count as the technology hour) and the State Bar will charge you $3.50/hour. Please register at …
// by Sarah Olson
The latest volume of Behavioral Science Briefs for the Trial Advocate was published recently and is available here. It summarizes research on issues including juror decision-making, mock jurors’ evaluation of firearm testimony, eyewitness identifications, child interviewing, and other topics relevant to the criminal practitioner. A deep understanding of human behavior offers an edge to trial attorneys. …
// by Sarah Olson
Dec. 16, 20201:00 pm via Webex1 hour of general CLE credit anticipated Register for the program here. Dr. William Crozier will present an overview of the 2020 scientific review paper on eyewitness identification evidence published by the American Psychology-Law Society. The paper, “Policy and Procedure Recommendations for the Collection and Preservation of Eyewitness Identification Evidence,” …
// by Sarah Olson
Dec. 10, 20201:00-2:15 pm via WebEx1.0 hours of general CLE credit anticipated Click here to register for the program. Mental health experts routinely rely upon psychological testing when formulating psycholegal opinions. In this 1-hour live webinar, Dr. Maureen L. Reardon will review the role of personality testing in the forensic context and its implications for …
Psychological Testing in Criminal Cases: the Utility of the MMPIRead More
// by Sarah Olson
There have been several posts on this and related topics here and here. This post will attempt to compile all of the resources and walk attorneys through the process of making these challenges. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-87(16) provides the statutory definition of marijuana, specifically excluding from its definition industrial hemp. Industrial hemp, as defined in …
Challenging an officer’s identification of marijuana by sight or smellRead More