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 …
Announcements
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.
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 …
Virtual Workshop Series: Qualifications of an Expert Witness for Legal ProfessionalsRead More
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. …
Join the Indigent Defense Services Team
Indigent Defense Services (IDS) is seeking a Recruitment and Training Coordinator to equip defenders to provide more effective legal services for our indigent clients through understanding how developmental and community backgrounds impact both our client population and the attorneys who serve them. This newly-created grant-funded position represents an exciting opportunity to impact personnel and practice in the representation of …
Is the caller the killer?
ProPublica reporter Brett Murphy published his first article in a series of investigative reporting about a controversial method being used by some law enforcement officers to determine whether a 911 caller is guilty or innocent. NC homicide investigators were trained at a NC Homicide Investigators Association Conference by the method’s creator, Tracy Harpster. The method …
Come work with us!
IDS has a job opening for a Regional Defender based in Durham or Wake County. The Office of Indigent Defense Services is seeking a qualified individual to work to advance our mission to safeguard individual liberty and the Constitution by equipping the North Carolina public defense community with the resources it needs to achieve fair …
Book Event with Chris Fabricant at Duke Law School
September 12, 2022 • 12:30 PM • Law School 3041 Duke Law School’s Novel Justice is a book event series sponsored by the Wilson Center for Science and Justice. The Center invites authors to discuss recently published criminal justice books and to engage in Q&A with faculty and students. Chris Fabricant is the Director of …