North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
IDS is sharing this information from Megan Williams, MSPH, MSW, Research Associate at the UNC Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health to assist counsel representing clients who may be pregnant. The number of incarcerated women has risen dramatically across North Carolina in the past few decades, and about 5-7% of incarcerated women are pregnant. Incarcerated …
Information for Attorneys Representing Pregnant ClientsRead More
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 …
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. …
The Florida International University Research Forensic Library has released a new video: “Is This Research Credible?” The short video provides four easy to follow steps on how to evaluate the credibility of research, from articles to testimonies. Attorneys may find the tips helpful when reviewing research that an expert has relied upon. You can access the video here: The Research Forensic …
“Is This Research Credible?”: A New FIU Forensic Library VideoRead More
With Governor Cooper signing it into law yesterday Senate Bill 455 which permanently excludes hemp from the legal definition of marijuana under state law in NC, hemp’s future as a widely-available consumer product in our state seems secure. Under the new legislation, the previous requirement that the hemp be cultivated or possessed by a grower …
We want court appointed attorneys to use experts, and we want using experts to be easier for attorneys. Access to qualified expert services is essential to the provision of indigent defense. To better equip the North Carolina public defense community with the resources it needs to achieve fair and just outcomes for clients, Indigent Defense …
Reposted with permission. Originally posted here on the North Carolina Criminal Law blog. I’m pleased to announce a new collaboration between the Public Defense Education team at the School of Government and Indigent Defense Services. I frequently get questions from defense lawyers about expert witnesses. Where do you find experts? How do you know which …
As part of our mission to help North Carolina’s public defense community understand forensic science evidence and achieve better outcomes for clients, the office of the Forensic Resource Counsel continues our efforts to make information related to forensic science evidence more easily accessible to attorneys through this website. In that vein, we are pleased to …
On Monday, July 13th, the Electronic Frontier Foundation put out a press release (available here) announcing the launch of their Atlas of Surveillance. The Atlas, created in partnership with the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, is a searchable database of the specific surveillance technology law enforcement agencies across the country …
The Electronic Frontier Foundation Launches the Atlas of SurveillanceRead More
A deep understanding of human behavior offers an edge to trial attorneys. Yet the sheer volume of studies published each month in the behavioral sciences prevents most dedicated attorneys from remaining abreast of this rich literature base. In support of attorneys who seek to practice at the highest levels, board-certified forensic psychologists Dr. Daniel J. …
Why and how to use a Mitigation Specialist in a non-capital case Attorneys who represent clients in capital cases are familiar with the requirement that someone be able to recognize the presence of mental health and psychological impairments serve as a member of the defense team. These professionals, mitigation specialists, are qualified by training and …
Working with a Mitigation Specialist in a non-capital caseRead More
The question of how to have forensic evidence tested or re-tested by an independent laboratory comes up in my case consultations. This post will outline the general process of requesting that evidence be independently tested in a court-appointed case, and I am happy to talk with attorneys about their specific cases and help weigh the …
Like many other experts, medical examiners use terms of art which might be confusing for non-experts. The use of the term “homicide” to classify a death might confuse jurors and attorneys alike. It may, therefore, be worthwhile to take steps to ensure that a medical examiner’s testimony conveys the proper information despite using a potentially …
Originally posted on Nov. 12, 2019 on the North Carolina Criminal Law blog. The advent of cannabis legalization across the country has led to a proliferation of new types of cannabis products. There are skin patches, food and drinks (for humans and pets), vaporizer or “vape” cartridges (or “carts”), and different concentrate or extract products (“dabs”, “wax” or “shatter”, among other names). [Click …
Carts, Wax, and Oh, My: The New World of Marijuana ExtractsRead More
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
