As part of our mission to help North Carolina’s public defense community understand forensic science evidence and achieve better outcomes for clients, the office of the Forensic Resource Counsel continues our efforts to make information related to forensic science evidence more easily accessible to attorneys through this website. In that vein, we are pleased to …
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Free Webinar – Drug Analysis: Methodology Used and Common Errors
On Sept. 18, 2020 from 1:00-2:15 PM EST, NC Indigent Defense Services will sponsor a free-to-attend live webinar program on drug analysis. The program is for NC criminal defense attorneys and NC criminal defense investigators. We anticipate the program will be approved for one hour of general CLE credit. Program registration is available here. Program Overview:This …
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Free Medical Forensics Webinars: Blunt Force Trauma; Traumatic Brain Injury & Intoxication; and Reading Medical Records
Godoy Medical Forensics is offering three free live webinars taught by a forensic nurse in August 2020. Attorneys and investigators can find more information about each program and registration links here. Blunt Force Trauma Webinar – Aug. 12This presentation is designed to teach attorneys and investigators about various injuries that result from Blunt Force Trauma. …
Free NACDL webinars on digital evidence
On Tuesday, August 11, 2020, NACDL and the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic are presenting two free CLE webinars: At 11:00am EST: “Policing the Police: Using Police Technologies to Uncover Law Enforcement Misconduct in Criminal Cases” with Debbie Levi, Director of Special Litigation with the Baltimore City Public Defender, and Ivan Bates, Managing …
Webinar – Likes, Posts and Shares: When the Government uses Social Media to Prosecute Your Client
This NACDL free live webinar is being offered in Aug. 6, 2020 at 3:00 pm. It is open to NACDL members and non-members. The webinar will cover how defense attorneys can challenge the use of social media evidence in criminal cases, as courts continue to grapple with the constitutionality and scope of the Stored Communications …
Upcoming Webinar – (Mis)identified: The Challenges of Identifying & Litigating Facial Recognition Technology in Criminal Cases
Police departments, federal agencies, and technology companies across the country are seeing revived scrutiny of facial recognition technology, which is capable of identifying people, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that some facial recognition systems perform differently depending on race and gender, and the use of such technology is not always …
The Electronic Frontier Foundation Launches the Atlas of Surveillance
On Monday, July 13th, the Electronic Frontier Foundation put out a press release (available here) announcing the launch of their Atlas of Surveillance. The Atlas, created in partnership with the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, is a searchable database of the specific surveillance technology law enforcement agencies across the country …
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New Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports documents published by US DOJ
The U.S. Department of Justice is developing guidance documents governing the testimony and reports of its forensic experts. These documents, known as “Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports,” or ULTR documents, are designed to provide guidance on the submission of scientific statements by the Department’s forensic examiners when drafting reports or testifying. The ULTRs are …
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Forensic mental health evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Several attorneys have asked about having in-custody clients evaluated for competency or purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve talked with experts about their availability and many are available, if appropriate measures to ensure safety are in place during the mental health evaluation. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to how to conduct these necessary evaluations, but …
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“Too Pandora’s Boxy for Silicon Valley” – John Oliver Discusses the Use of Facial Recognition Technology by Law Enforcement
This past Sunday, on his weekly half-hour HBO show, Last Week Tonight, comedian John Oliver discussed the growing prevalence of facial recognition technology in the criminal justice system. The issue is particularly relevant as protestors in the recent demonstrations demanding justice for George Floyd (and the numerous other BIPOC who have been subjected to violence …
Upcoming Webinar Series: Serology, DNA and Probabilistic Genotyping Evidence
Please use this link to register for the series. Prior to the program, you will receive the link to connect to the webinar. If you have questions, please contact Sarah.R.Olson@nccourts.org. NC Indigent Defense Services and ForensiGen, LLC will offer a free-to-attend 3-part webinar series on serology, DNA, and probabilistic genotyping evidence. Dr. Max Noureddine will …
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Summer 2020 Hemp Update
Originally posted on June 16, 2020 on the North Carolina Criminal Law blog On Thursday, June 4, 2020, the North Carolina General Assembly passed S.B. 315, referred to as the State Farm Bill, which was subsequently signed into law by the Governor. The bill was pending all last session and stalled, allegedly over a dispute about how …
Upcoming Webinar: Best Practice Interviewing of Children in Sexual Abuse Cases
Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 3:00PM If you plan to attend please use this link and we will send you WebEx instructions via email prior to the program. If you have questions please email Sarah.R.Olson@nccourts.org. Description: The webinar will provide essential information about evidenced-based forensic interviews of children in sexual abuse cases. By the end …
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NIJ Publishes Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures Manual
This month the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence published a Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures Manual to be used as a guide for law enforcement agencies. The preface to the manual clarifies that policies and procedures should be tailored to fit each lab’s particular circumstances, and further that a manual …
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State v. Sasek: Importance of making 702 challenges at trial
On May 19th, 2020 the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued its opinion State v. Sasek. Mr. Sasek was convicted in March of 2019 of possession with intent to sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance and sale of methamphetamine, which led to the revocation of his probation. Defense counsel should be aware of …
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