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 …
Announcements
Open House at the State Crime Lab
The North Carolina State Crime Lab is offering open house opportunities for the public. Scientists from the various disciplines will be available to provide demonstrations and answer questions. The open houses will take place at the following times: Raleigh Lab – April 8, 2025: 4-8 pm and April 10, 2025: 4-8 pm Western Lab – …
Western Regional 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 Western Regional Lab in Edneyville for criminal defense attorneys and investigators. The tour will take place on Apr. 4, 2025 …
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 …
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 …
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) …
Digital forensics educational videos YouTube channelRead More
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.