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 …
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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 …
New Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports documents published by US DOJRead More
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 …
Upcoming Webinar Series: Serology, DNA and Probabilistic Genotyping EvidenceRead More
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 …
NIJ Publishes Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures ManualRead More
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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Upcoming Webinar: Determining Malingering and Deception in Forensic Settings
Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 1:00PM If you plan to attend please register using 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. Dr. Michelle Barrett, a forensic psychologist at Central Regional Hospital, presented this live webinar recently for the NC Conference …
Upcoming Webinar: Determining Malingering and Deception in Forensic SettingsRead More
OCME & NCSCL Pretrial Conferences During Covid-19
Even though the courts are currently holding only a limited number of essential hearings to help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, attorneys who are teleworking may still need to hold pretrial conferences with forensic scientists. While in-person meetings are not possible at this time, there are still options for holding remote meetings with …
The Blind Leading the Blind: Recent Article Discusses the HFSC Blind Testing Program
From the National Academy of Sciences, to the Washington Post, to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, there seems to be consensus that additional research is needed to validate several fields of forensic science. One challenge in collecting sufficient evidence to establish foundational validity is that because there is no ground truth in forensic casework, …
The Blind Leading the Blind: Recent Article Discusses the HFSC Blind Testing ProgramRead More
What to watch when quarantined
Are you done with Tiger King and don’t know what to watch next? Each of the series below is available on Netflix and offers insight into various forensic evidence methods. How to Fix a Drug ScandalThis four-episode series chronicles what happens when two drug analysts in Massachusetts commit misconduct in the lab. The series examines …