North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
IDS and the Mecklenburg Public Defender’s Office provide regular continuing education to dozens of NC criminal defense and parent attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists who attend the IDS Forensic Science Education Series. In 2023, we will offer monthly 90-minute webinars on various forensic disciplines and preparations for Daubert/702 challenges. These webinars will take place typically …
<strong>2023 IDS Forensic Science Education Series</strong>Read More
The Autism Society partnered with Legal Reform for the Intellectually & Developmentally Disabled to produce an FAQ for Public Defenders on how to work with a client with Autism. An FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin found that Americans with Autism are seven times more likely to be victims of crime due to vulnerability, twelve times more likely to become …
FAQs to assist with representing clients with AutismRead More
Live webinar presented by Mireille Kelley, Ph.D. June 1, 2023, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated This course is designed to help the attendee to understand the general concepts of injury biomechanics, especially as it relates to head injury. It will inform the attendee on different types of head injuries and their associated …
<strong>Biomechanics of Head Injuries and Applications to Criminal Cases</strong>Read More
Live webinar presented by Julia Leighton, JD May. 4, 2023, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated This program is the fourth in a series of 4 webinars focused on issues related to firearms evidence. This program will offer guidance to attorneys seeking to challenge the admissibility of firearm and toolmark evidence under a …
Are you looking for an investigator who can find and interview witnesses, review evidence, gather and document additional evidence, examine the crime scene and its investigation, and conduct background checks on witnesses? IDS has created a directory of licensed private investigators who are available to assist on your criminal cases. Compiling information on investigators who …
Private Investigator Directory added to IDS websiteRead More
In a 6-part podcast, host and filmmaker Molly Hermann traces the roots of various forensic techniques and the questions surrounding their accuracy. Each episode will focus on one technique, and is informed by criminal defense attorneys who have challenged the reliability of this evidence in court. The second episode looks at bitemark evidence and the …
The Center for Integrity in Forensic Science (CIFS) has released their first animated video. The video explores the problematic use of bite mark comparison evidence in the justice system. CIFS’s primary goal in creating the video is to raise public awareness about the flaws in bite mark evidence and educate potential jurors on its unreliability. …
Live full-day webinarApril 22, 2023Offered by Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC), a program of Wake Forest University School of Medicine Attorneys handling homicide cases who are looking to update their knowledge of forensic pathology should consider attending this excellent program that is offered annually. The training is geared toward medical examiners and forensic practitioners, …
Western North Carolina Death Investigation ConferenceRead More
Live webinar presented by Josh Wright Apr. 6, 2023, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated This program is the third in a series of 4 webinars focused on issues related to firearms evidence. Josh Wright will provide a basic primer on the mechanics of a gun firing a bullet. He will describe the …
The Marshall Project published a feature on mitigation specialists and their work, entitled The Mercy Workers. For attorneys familiar with the valuable work of mitigation specialists documenting childhood traumas, family dynamics, and systemic failures that shape the lives of criminal defendants, the feature will reinforce the importance of this type of expert assistance. For attorneys …
The Florida International University Research Forensic Library has released a new video: “Is This Research Credible?” The short video provides four easy to follow steps on how to evaluate the credibility of research, from articles to testimonies. Attorneys may find the tips helpful when reviewing research that an expert has relied upon. You can access the video here: The Research Forensic …
“Is This Research Credible?”: A New FIU Forensic Library VideoRead More
Originally posted on North Carolina Criminal Law – A UNC School of Government Blog Readers may have heard of the plant commonly known as khat or qat (or Catha edulis, for the botanically inclined). The plant is indigenous to Africa and is popular in parts of that continent, as well as parts of the Middle East, and is …
<a href="https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/possession-of-khat/">Possession of Khat</a>Read More
Live webinar presented by Timothy Suggs and Jordan Duhe Willetts Mar. 2, 2023, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated This program is the second in a series of 4 webinars focused on issues related to firearms evidence. NC State Crime Lab Quality Manager Timothy Suggs will help attorneys understand how the quality system …
Indigent Defense Services (IDS) is seeking a Recruitment and Training Coordinator to equip defenders to provide more effective legal services for our indigent clients through understanding how developmental and community backgrounds impact both our client population and the attorneys who serve them. This newly-created grant-funded position represents an exciting opportunity to impact personnel and practice in the representation of …
Whether the prosecution can use rap lyrics as evidence of a defendant’s guilt comes up regularly in criminal cases. Researchers have found evidence of rap lyrics being introduced in hundreds of criminal cases nationwide. In North Carolina, the use of rap lyrics was upheld in the unpublished Court of Appeals decision, State v. Allen, NC …
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized a report in Nov. 2022, first published in draft form in May, that reviews the scientific foundations of forensic methods for analyzing computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices. The full report is available here. Attorneys may find the report helpful for several reasons. First, the report …
Digital Investigation Techniques: A NIST Scientific Foundation ReviewRead More
