IDS has prepared Expert Witnesses in NC Criminal Cases to provide information for any professional considering serving as an expert witness in indigent criminal defense cases, as well as best practices for NC criminal defense attorneys working with expert witnesses. The guide contains information for experts about billing in IDS cases, deciding whether to accept a case, …
Blog
2026 IDS Forensic Science Education Series
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 2026, we will offer monthly 90-minute webinars on various aspects of forensic evidence. These webinars will take place typically at 12:30 pm on …
Testimony about shaken baby syndrome excluded by NJ Supreme Court
On Nov. 20, 2025, the New Jersey Supreme Court barred testimony concerning shaken baby syndrome, finding that the State failed to meet its burden of showing reliability under the Frye standard. The opinion discusses the history of this diagnosis and lack of consensus around the so-called “triad” of symptoms in shaken baby cases. The opinion demonstrates …
Testimony about shaken baby syndrome excluded by NJ Supreme CourtRead More
Discovery Template for AI and Surveillance Technology Evidence
The Discovery Demand for AI and Surveillance Technology Evidence template created by Mitha Nandagopalan of the Innocence Project’s Strategic Litigation Department outlines categories of discovery that can be requested in cases involving artificial intelligence and surveillance tools. By reviewing this list and incorporating relevant requests in their discovery motions, attorneys can seek disclosure of technological …
Discovery Template for AI and Surveillance Technology EvidenceRead More
Decoding Toxicology Lab Reports from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Other Crime Labs
Live webinar presented by Rohan Parekh, MS, PhDNov. 6, 2025, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated With the recent opening of the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory, attorneys need additional information about the lab reports produced by this lab. The Union County Public Defender’s Office, the Union County Bar, and NC Indigent Defense Services …
Decoding Toxicology Lab Reports from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Other Crime LabsRead More
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Biology Testing Explained
Live webinar presented by Wendell IvoryOct. 2, 2025, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated In this virtual webinar, attendees will learn about the services provided by the Forensic Biology Section at the NC State Crime Lab. The presentation will cover evidence submission criteria and reporting results. A brief overview of CODIS and STIMS will also …
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Biology Testing ExplainedRead More
Forensic Book Club
The Forensic Book Club is starting its next reading. It is a short story that is just 26 pages! To get into the fall/Halloween spirit, we’ll be reading Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” We’ll meet virtually to discuss on Oct. 13 at 6 pm. If you have been thinking about joining us, …
Inside the State Crime Lab: Digital Evidence Testing Explained
Live webinar presented by Sterling HuntSept. 18, 2025, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated In this webinar, attendees will review submission requirements for mobile devices, identify types of devices and removable media, discuss the two states of mobile devices and encryption, review the examination process, and discuss the results of examination. Attendees will be provided …
Inside the State Crime Lab: Digital Evidence Testing ExplainedRead More
Stillbirth Case Study: Maternal Substance Use: Strategies for Early Fact-Checking & Case Redirection
Free Recorded webinarPresented by Dr. Kima Taylor and Dr. Mishka Terplan; moderated by Andrea LyonOriginally recorded July 2, 2025Approx. 90 min. Stigma and misinformation about substance use during pregnancy often lead to infants being removed from their parents’ custody without understanding the needs of the parent or child. Led by medical experts, this program aims …
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Testing Explained Webinars
For the second half of the year, the IDS Forensic Science Education Series will take a deeper look into the testing performed at the State Crime Lab. In each session, an analyst from the State Crime Lab will present about the testing performed in their section of the lab. We hope that the sessions will …
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Testing Explained WebinarsRead More
Expert assistance in toxicology and pharmacology available starting July 1, 2025 through Expert Services Project
Access to qualified expert services is essential to public defense. To better equip defenders with the resources they need to achieve fair and just outcomes for clients, Indigent Defense Services launched the pilot Expert Services Project in 2021 and is expanding it to include toxicology and pharmacology experts on July 1, 2025. This Project provides …
Managing Digital Discovery Webinar
Live webinar presented by Devshi Mehrotra and Derek HarrisJune 5, 2025, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated In today’s criminal cases, defenders are increasingly confronted with massive volumes of data, including cell phone dumps, surveillance footage, social media records, and forensic reports. This program is designed to equip criminal defense attorneys and team members with …
State Crime Lab Tour Offered
Would you like to see where evidence is tested at the State Crime Lab and learn more about the methods used at the Lab? The NC State Crime Laboratory is offering a tour of the Lab in Raleigh for criminal defense attorneys and investigators. The tour will take place on June 19, 2025 at 9:30 …
False Positives, Real Consequences: What the Quest Diagnostics Issue Reveals About Drug Testing Failures
In April 2025, The Guardian reported that Quest Diagnostics used an “alternative reagent” in thousands of urine drug screens conducted within California prisons (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/california-prison-drug-tests). This change, made without sufficient external disclosure, resulted in a dramatic spike in presumptive positive tests for opiates—tripling the usual rate. More than 5,000 incarcerated individuals may have been affected, many …
Criminal defense group visits State Crime Lab
Here are some staff members from the 39th Defender District PD Office (serving Cleveland and Lincoln counties). Pictured left to right: Tim Hajj (Investigator); Hailey Porterfield (APD); Andrew Arden (APD); Deidre Nachamie (APD); Allison Garren (APD); and Ivana Hughes (APD). About 20 assistant public defenders, private defense counsel, investigators and legal assistants from Rutherford, Lincoln, Cleveland, …