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, …
Announcements
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 …
2024 Report of the State Crime Lab Ombudsperson released
Susan Brooks, Ombudsperson to the NC State Crime Laboratory released a report prepared pursuant to N.C.G.S. 114-62 on June 12, 2024. The full Report is available here. The Report makes no recommendations for the lab’s technical operations, but makes several recommendations in four areas: The Report recognizes that several of these recommendations would require significant …
2024 Report of the State Crime Lab Ombudsperson releasedRead More
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 14, 2024 at 10:00 …
Digital forensics educational videos YouTube channel
If you enjoy YouTube as much as my kids do, but are tired of MrBeast and ready for some informative digital forensics content, check out the material that Envista Forensics is creating. Lars Daniel has a 6-minute video on different types of cell phones extractions, with an explanation of why full file system (advanced extractions) …
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How Novel Uses of DNA Evidence are Changing the Criminal Justice System: NAS Workshop open to criminal defense attorneys
DNA evidence is an evolving tool in criminal investigations and prosecutions and it poses new challenges defenders and our clients. How can defenders effectively represent clients when faced with complex and evolving DNA technologies? How can you ensure that the DNA evidence is reliable, valid, and admissible in court? How can you protect your clients’ …
This year, 773,000 people across the country will be arrested based on field drug tests with known accuracy problems
The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at University of Pennsylvania has conducted a national survey regarding presumptive field drug tests and their role in wrongful convictions across the United States. Many people suspected that the field tests used by law enforcement had problems, but until now no one knew how often, how …
Introducing the new State Crime Lab Ombudsperson
The State Crime Lab recently got a new Ombudsperson who may be familiar to many of you: former IDS Defender Administrator Susan Brooks. As Ombudsperson, Susan will be responsible for addressing concerns about the Crime Lab’s policies, procedures, and actions. She will also assist in mediating conflicts and resolving complaints, and she will apprise the …
Traumatic Brain Injury Resources
Desiree Gorbea-Finalet, Project Manager for the Traumatic Brain Injury Project at Disability Rights North Carolina has shared the following resources that may be helpful for attorneys working with clients who may have a Traumatic Brain Injury. Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Criminal Justice Professionals (CDC) Accessible Court Participation with a Brain Injury – The …
Forensic Podcasts Episodes For Attorneys
Attorney Darcia Forester, Deputy Public Defender, State of Hawaii has compiled this list of podcasts episodes relating to Forensic Sciences – including DNA, fingerprints, ballistics, government surveillance, facial recognition, cell phones, data collection and algorithms. Attorneys are encouraged to utilize this comprehensive list as a resource.
Virtual Workshop Series: Qualifications of an Expert Witness for Legal Professionals
North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) will host a two-part virtual workshop series on the Qualifications of an Expert Witness for Legal Professionals. This workshop series will discuss topics surrounding qualifications of expert witnesses in forensic disciplines under both the Daubert and the Frye standards. Part I of …
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Private Investigator Directory added to IDS website
Are you looking for an investigator who can find and interview witnesses, review evidence, gather and document additional evidence, examine the crime scene and its investigation, and conduct background checks on witnesses? IDS has created a directory of licensed private investigators who are available to assist on your criminal cases. Compiling information on investigators who …
Private Investigator Directory added to IDS websiteRead More
CSI on Trial Podcast
In a 6-part podcast, host and filmmaker Molly Hermann traces the roots of various forensic techniques and the questions surrounding their accuracy. Each episode will focus on one technique, and is informed by criminal defense attorneys who have challenged the reliability of this evidence in court. The second episode looks at bitemark evidence and the …
CIFS Bite Mark Video is Now Available on YouTube
The Center for Integrity in Forensic Science (CIFS) has released their first animated video. The video explores the problematic use of bite mark comparison evidence in the justice system. CIFS’s primary goal in creating the video is to raise public awareness about the flaws in bite mark evidence and educate potential jurors on its unreliability. …