As regular readers know, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Smith v. Arizona, 602 U.S. 779 (2024), this past June. The decision undercut the reasoning used by North Carolina courts to justify the practice of permitting substitute analysts to offer an independent opinion about the forensic report of another, nontestifying analyst (as discussed here and here). Until this week, no …
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Come read with us!
The Forensic Book Club is starting its second book and will meet virtually to discuss on Feb. 10 at 7 pm. We hope you’ll join us. We are a group of defenders, scientists, one prosecutor, one ombudsperson, and a judge! The next book we’ll be discussing is Blood, Powder, and Residue: How Crime Labs Translate …
Defending Sex Offense Cases
Live webinar presented by Susan Seahorn, J.D.Nov. 7, 2024, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated This presentation is designed for defenders who handle sex offense cases. It will provide an overview of the unique challenges these cases present, including navigating sensitive subject matter, addressing the public stigma associated with sex crimes, and understanding the legal …
New Report: Wrongful Convictions in North Carolina
On October 2, 2024, the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law marked International Wrongful Convictions Day – a day designed to raise awareness of the causes and remedies of wrongful convictions and to shed light on the tremendous harms wrongful convictions have on individuals, their families, and communities. Since 1989, 75 people have been …
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 Dec. 5, 2024 at 9:30 …
The Fourth Circuit Weighs in on THC-O and “Synthetic” THC
Originally posted on North Carolina Criminal Law, a UNC School of Government Blog In September, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a significant decision affecting the hemp industry on the federal level. There has been an open question for some time regarding the legality of certain cannabinoids that do not naturally occur in the …
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Brain Injuries in Criminalized Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Live webinar presented by Kelly Newcomb, J.D.Oct. 3, 2024, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated Millions of women in the U.S. experience brain injury as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV). Some survivors later become involved in the criminal legal system. The presentation offers education to legal actors and advocates as to the types, …
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FORENSICS@NIST 2024
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN MAIN EVENT: NOVEMBER 18-20, 2024 Join NIST virtually on Tuesday November 18th – Thursday November 20th, 2024 to learn how NIST scientists are using advanced methods in metrology, computer science and statistics to strengthen forensic science. Topic Areas to be covered include: Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during a virtual Q&A. OPTIONAL WORKSHOPS: …
Forensic Science Standards and Their Use in Court
Live webinar presented by Dana M. Delger, JDSept. 19, 2024, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science, administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), leverages volunteer efforts from over 800 stakeholders to support the development and implementation of forensic science standards across a …
Challenging the Foundational Validity of a Forensic Method Using a Statistician as an Expert
Live webinar presented by Jordan Duhe Willetts, JD and Melinda Thielbar, PhDSept. 5, 2024, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated In order to raise a 702 challenge to the foundational validity of a forensic method, information about the research that purports to validate the method must be presented in court. This webinar will explain how …
The Role of Comprehensive Medicolegal Death Investigation as part of a Public Health Improvement Strategy
Attorneys handling death by distribution or other cases involving toxicology evidence may be interested in this recorded webinar series. In 2024, the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) offered a webinar series entitled, “The …
Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain & Behavior Advances Juvenile Justice in Launching First-of-its-Kind Cutting-Edge Brain Science “NeuroLaw Library”
BOSTON ̶ June 11, 2024 – In an effort to make the legal system more effective and just for all those affected by the law, today, the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB), one of the nation’s leading institutes committed to providing the most accurate and actionable neuroscience for judges, lawyers, policymakers and journalists, …
Forensic Book Club
Would you like to read and discuss books about science and the law with a group of attorneys, legal professionals, and scientists? We have decided to create a Forensic Book Club that will meet every couple of months to discuss a book of interest. This book by science writer Tom Chivers has struck my fancy …
NC State Crime Laboratory Welcomes New Director
Amanda W. Thompson has accepted a new role as Director of the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory. Director Thompson has been with the crime laboratory since 2000. She was hired as a DNA Database Analyst and then promoted to a Forensic Scientist in the Forensic Biology Section where she served as a Forensic Serologist and …
Human Factors and Cognitive Bias in Forensic Science – What Does the Research Say?
Live webinar presented by Adele Quigley-McBride, PhD, LLBAug 1, 2024, 12:30pm90 min of CLE credit anticipated Research and post-mortem evaluations of wrongful conviction cases have shed light on some of the problems contributing to errors in forensic science in the US. Although research explicitly designed to apply to forensic testing procedures is in its infancy, …
Human Factors and Cognitive Bias in Forensic Science – What Does the Research Say?Read More