With Governor Cooper signing it into law yesterday Senate Bill 455 which permanently excludes hemp from the legal definition of marijuana under state law in NC, hemp’s future as a widely-available consumer product in our state seems secure. Under the new legislation, the previous requirement that the hemp be cultivated or possessed by a grower …
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What to do with low-quality video evidence
Last week an article in The Assembly, The Shooter in the Video, came across my virtual desk. The article focused on the case of James Richardson, who was convicted of murder in Pitt County in 2011, and the work of his family, supporters and his post-conviction attorney Heather Rattelade to overturn his conviction. A key …
Expert assistance from Envista Forensics now available through Expert Services Project
We want court appointed attorneys to use experts, and we want using experts to be easier for attorneys. Access to qualified expert services is essential to the provision of indigent defense. To better equip the North Carolina public defense community with the resources it needs to achieve fair and just outcomes for clients, Indigent Defense …
Expert assistance from Envista Forensics now available through Expert Services ProjectRead More
Announcing Western Regional Lab Tour
The NC State Crime Laboratory, the 30th Judicial District Bar, and IDS are offering a tour of the Western Regional Lab in Edneyville on June 17, 2022 at 1:00 pm for criminal defense attorneys and investigators. One hour of CLE credit is anticipated for those who participate in the tour. If you would like to …
White Paper on the Science of Late Adolescence: A Guide for Judges, Attorneys, and Policy Makers
Reposted from the NC Office of the Juvenile Defender Blog My high schooler is currently working on a Civics Literacy project in which she is tasked with creating a summary of candidates running for office and including relevant information about their platforms. Citing her resources for the information is important – she knows that if …
Webinar: Challenging eyewitness ID testimony and utilizing defense experts
Live webinar presented by Dr. Lori Van Wallendael and Attorney Greg Tosi May 5, 2022, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated Description: This program will discuss current eyewitness identification research. Dr. Van Wallendael will explain what issues attorneys should look out for in an ID case that might indicate problems with the identification. …
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DNA Mixtures Webinar: Likelihood ratios and challenges to STRMix evidence
Live webinar presented by Dr. Maher “Max” Noureddine and Attorney Elizabeth Vasquez June 2, 2022, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated Description:This presentation will provide in-depth information about likelihood ratios and probabilistic genotyping (PG) software used to interpret complex DNA mixtures. After a brief overview of the concepts of likelihood ratio and probabilistic …
DNA Mixtures Webinar: Likelihood ratios and challenges to STRMix evidenceRead More
Free online courses: Forensic science and Forensic mental health
Project 39A, a criminal justice initiative at National Law University, Delhi, in collaboration with Eleos Justice at Monash University, has recently launched two interdisciplinary courses — Decoding Forensics for Legal Professionals and Forensic Mental Health and Criminal Justice. These interactive and self-paced courses are now freely available on FutureLearn, an e-learning platform. These courses include …
Free online courses: Forensic science and Forensic mental healthRead More
Announcing Expert Services Project
We want court appointed attorneys to use experts, and we want using experts to be easier for attorneys. Access to qualified expert services is essential to the provision of indigent defense. To better equip the North Carolina public defense community with the resources it needs to achieve fair and just outcomes for clients, Indigent Defense …
Legal Aid Society of NY’s DNA Unit Presents Foundation of DNA Defense
Don’t miss out on a great free-to-attend webinar program offered Mar. 30 – Apr. 1, 2022. The Legal Aid Society of NY presents a DNA conference annually. This year’s focus is “Unpacking the 2021 NIST Report.” There will be three days of presentations on the latest information related to forensic DNA evidence. The speaker line-up …
Legal Aid Society of NY’s DNA Unit Presents Foundation of DNA DefenseRead More
Results from a Black-Box Study for Digital Forensic Examiners
In Feb. 2022, NIST published the results of a study that looked at outcomes of mock mobile and hard-drive examinations by digital forensic examiners. 394 individuals registered for the mobile test, and 77 participants completed the mobile case study. 450 individuals registered for the hard-drive test and 102 participants completed the hard drive case study. …
Results from a Black-Box Study for Digital Forensic ExaminersRead More
“You’re Wrong About” Podcast on Junk Science
Sarah Marshall and Josie Duffy Rice discuss the role of unreliable scientific evidence in the criminal justice system in the Feb. 20, 2022 edition of Marshall’s “You’re Wrong About” podcast. The episode is available here. The podcast looks at several types of evidence including blood spatter and bitemark evidence. While many attorneys are familiar with …
Geofence warrant was unconstitutional
On Mar. 4, 2022, a federal judge ruled that use of geofence data in a Virginia case violated the Fourth Amendment. The decision in US v. Chatrie is available here. A geofence is law enforcement use of Google location data to find people who were near a crime scene. Geofence searches have been used in …
Webinar: Challenging the foundational validity of a forensic method
Live webinar presented by Attorney Hannah Autry, and Assistant Public Defender Samantha Grill, and Pate Skene, J.D., Ph.D.Mar. 3, 2022, 12:30-2 pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated Description:Indigent Defense Services and the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office will offer a series of monthly webinars which prepare attorneys to challenge unreliable forensic science evidence in 702/Daubert …
Webinar: Challenging the foundational validity of a forensic methodRead More
State Crime Lab Updates
The State Crime Lab provided their Forensic Update Volume 6, No.1 on Jan. 24, 2022. Attorneys should review the Forensic Update to understand several changes to reports in Drug Chemistry and Toxicology effective Feb. 1, 2022, regarding no longer reporting the schedule of identified substances on drug analysis lab reports and suspending further testing of …