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You are here: Home / Archives for Reports & Publications

Reports & Publications

New Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports documents published by US DOJ

June 26, 2020 //  by Sarah Olson

The U.S. Department of Justice is developing guidance documents governing the testimony and reports of its forensic experts. These documents, known as “Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports,” or ULTR documents, are designed to provide guidance on the submission of scientific statements by the Department’s forensic examiners when drafting reports or testifying. The ULTRs are …

New Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports documents published by US DOJRead More

Category: Practice Tips, Reports & Publications

NIJ Publishes Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures Manual

May 29, 2020 //  by Alec Rees

This month the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence published a Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures Manual to be used as a guide for law enforcement agencies. The preface to the manual clarifies that policies and procedures should be tailored to fit each lab’s particular circumstances, and further that a manual …

NIJ Publishes Digital Evidence Policies and Procedures ManualRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Crime Labs, Digital Evidence

New Standard for Detection Dogs

March 4, 2020 //  by Sarah Olson

The AAFS Standards Board has issued the General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Documentation of Canine Detection Disciplines. The new standard contains requirements for the development of training of canine handlers and canines. It also details the canine team assessments and the basis for certification procedures including record keeping and document management. The AAFS Standards …

New Standard for Detection DogsRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Detection Dogs

Psychological Assessments in Legal Contexts: Are Courts Keeping “Junk Science” Out of the Courtroom?

February 19, 2020 //  by Sarah Olson

The Association for Psychological Science published a review by Tess Neal, Christopher Slobogin, Michael Saks, David Faigman, and Kurt Geisinger on the psychological assessment tools used by forensic psychologists. The study found 67% are generally accepted in the field and only about 40% have generally favorable reviews of their psychometric and technical properties. The study …

Psychological Assessments in Legal Contexts: Are Courts Keeping “Junk Science” Out of the Courtroom?Read More

Category: Practice Tips, Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Experts, Mental Health

Are There Really Flaws in Cell Phone Location Evidence?

October 23, 2019 //  by Sarah Olson

Originally posted on the Envista Forensics Blog on Oct. 7, 2019 by Larry Daniel, Spencer McInvaille, Eric Grabski The amount of cell phone record location information being admitted as evidence in trial is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Juries across the U.S., and globally are being presented with call detail record analysis as evidence of …

Are There Really Flaws in Cell Phone Location Evidence?Read More

Category: Practice Tips, Reports & Publications, Resources, WebsitesForensic Discipline: Digital Evidence

Some Texas District Attorneys require lab tests for marijuana charges

July 10, 2019 //  by Matt Ruby

The Texas Legislature recently legalized the cultivation of hemp, complicating enforcement of existing marijuana laws in the state. Hemp and marijuana are the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa, and are distinguishable only through a chemical analysis which shows the THC concentration. The concentration of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, is the legal difference …

Some Texas District Attorneys require lab tests for marijuana chargesRead More

Category: Crime Labs, Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Crime Labs, Drug Analysis

Forensic Science and Statistics – Special Issue of Significance Magazine

April 8, 2019 //  by Sarah Olson

The American Statistical Association and Royal Statistical Society of the UK has published a special issue devoted for forensic evidence. The April 2019 issue, Forensic Science and Statistics, is a collaboration of the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) and the Innocence Project. The April 2019 issue contains six articles focused on …

Forensic Science and Statistics – Special Issue of Significance MagazineRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Foundations of Forensics

ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 037, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology

January 29, 2019 //  by Sarah Olson

The American Academy of Forensic Science Standards Board (ASB) has published ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 037, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition. This document delineates guidelines for best practices in forensic toxicology opinions and testimony, including human performance toxicology (e.g., driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs), postmortem forensic toxicology, …

ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 037, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic ToxicologyRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Toxicology

Police Manuals

January 25, 2019 //  by zenjoi

Attorneys may find it useful to review police procedure manuals to understand the applicable rules of conduct for the relevant law enforcement entity in their case. These rules are referred to as “policies and procedures,” “general orders,” “general directives,” “codes of conduct,” or “manuals.” Many police departments across the state have their manuals available for …

Police ManualsRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Foundations of Forensics

Royal Society Forensic Primers

April 13, 2018 //  by lissettepayne

Both experienced and newer attorneys should be aware of two primers, released by The Royal Society, on forensic DNA analysis and forensic gait analysis, available here. Although these reports were intended for use by courts in the UK, they provide important information for attorneys in the United States. This blog post intends to give a brief …

Royal Society Forensic PrimersRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: DNA

Uniform Language for Testimony and Reporting for Fingerprints

April 2, 2018 //  by Sarah Olson

At the February 2018 American Academy of Forensic Science meeting, DOJ Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the Uniform Language for Testimony and Reporting (ULTR) document for fingerprints. The purpose of the document is to standardize language used by Department of Justice fingerprint examiners in their reports and testimony. While the document does not apply …

Uniform Language for Testimony and Reporting for FingerprintsRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Fingerprints

New Benchbook Chapter on Expert Testimony

August 17, 2017 //  by Sarah Olson

School of Government Professor Jessie Smith has drafted a new chapter on Expert Testimony for the NC Superior Court Judge’s Benchbook. I’ve already heard one judge say from the bench that he had it open as he was considering a 702 challenge to expert testimony. Because this is a resource that judges look to, defenders …

New Benchbook Chapter on Expert TestimonyRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Foundations of Forensics

AAAS Report on Fire Investigation

July 31, 2017 //  by Sarah Olson

Attorneys who are handling cases involving arson allegations should be aware of the Forensic Science Assessments: A Quality and Gap Analysis – Fire Investigation publication that was released this month (July 2017). The report was produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The report looks at the discipline of fire investigations and …

AAAS Report on Fire InvestigationRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Arson

Language Matters: USDOJ’s Reporting Language and Testimony Guidelines

June 30, 2016 //  by danielleef

Forensic scientists are tasked with the job of explaining often complex scientific data to judges, jurors, and attorneys who may have little understanding of the science underlying the forensic analysis in a case. Revelations in recent years that hair analysts provided testimony that had no scientific validity has highlighted the importance of using correct language to …

Language Matters: USDOJ’s Reporting Language and Testimony GuidelinesRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Foundations of Forensics

AAAS Responds to the NAS’s call for Research Backing Forensic Science

June 29, 2015 //  by burkedj2

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced that it will begin conducting an analysis of the scientific bases for ten forensic disciplines. Through funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, AAAS plans to review the current scientific studies regarding the procedures and testimony of forensic experts. This analysis is a direct …

AAAS Responds to the NAS’s call for Research Backing Forensic ScienceRead More

Category: Reports & PublicationsForensic Discipline: Foundations of Forensics

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