NOVA (PBS) aired a program called “Forensics on Trial” on October 17, 2012, examining the crisis facing crime labs in the U.S which lack central oversight, employ few scientific standards, and have poor regulation of examiners. The program investigates how the use of fingerprint, bite mark, ballistics, toolmark, and hair analysis evidence has led to …
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The (Sorry) State of Forensics in the US [and perhaps the world]
Reposted from The Wrongful Convictions Blog by Phil Locke, Science and Technology Advisor, Ohio Innocence Project In 2009, The National Academies of Science of the United States published its Congressionally commissioned report: “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States – A Path Forward.” Chapter 5 of the report presents a review of a number of …
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Improving Arson Investigations
Discover Magazine recently published two articles about how recent scientific investigation has challenged the traditional principles and methodology of fire investigation. Spark of Truth: Can Science Bring Justice to Arson Trials? explains how these developments have occurred and Seven Myths About Arson debunks seven fire scene findings that have been used in numerous cases as …
DNA Mixture Analysis – Is It Subjective or Objective?
DNA is often regarded as the gold standard of forensic science because of its purported objectivity, which makes it immune to subjectivity and bias. The National Academy of Sciences 2009 Report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward even concluded that “[w]ith the exception of nuclear DNA analysis, . . . no …
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