Defenders should make sure they are familiar with how recent legislative changes affect remote testimony by lab analysts, especially in district court. Shea Denning’s post on the School of Government Blog provides an in-depth analysis of the changes. The AOC provided a memo on the issue, available here. My post will provide a few practice …
Toxicology
Marijuana Impairment FAQ
Overview: Blood concentrations of THC and its metabolites are not sufficient to prove impairment. Testimony about additional signs of impairment is necessary to prove impairment. The main reasons for the disconnect between THC blood concentration and impairment is that impairment occurs in the brain, not the blood, and the chemical nature of THC causes it …
THCA: One Abbreviation, Two Compounds
Have you received a lab report in a DWI case where blood is tested by the State Crime Lab for cannabinoids? If so, the report probably had a section that looked like this: When forensic labs test blood for marijuana, they test for the presence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the primary psychoactive component of …
Medical Cannabis and Driving
Thomas R Arkell, Danielle McCartney, and Iain S McGregor article
Toxicology Rounds: Your ED Patients are Likely Using Delta-8-THC
Investigation and Certification of Drug Toxicity Deaths in Today’s Complex Drug Environment
Free webinars offered by CFSRE
Investigation and Certification of Drug Toxicity Deaths in Today’s Complex Drug EnvironmentRead More
Forensic Lab Contamination in WA Puts Cases in Jeopardy
THC/Cannabis – Recognizing Impairment
NAPD webinar
More meth, cocaine contamination found at Washington state toxicology lab
A myth that lingers on: Casual contact with fentanyl causes overdoses
State v. Teesateskie (2021)
The defendant also argued on appeal that the trial court should not have allowed the State’s expert to testify as to possible reasons why Hydrocodone did not show up in the defendant’s blood test, because that testimony violated Rule 702 in that it was not based on scientific or technical knowledge, was impermissibly based on …
Medical Examiner’s Office chief toxicologist faces criminal probe with potential legal ramifications in years of cases (FL)
The effect of contextual information on decision-making in forensic toxicology
This recent study by Dr. Hilary J. Hamnett and Dr. Itiel E. Dror looked into the possible effects of contextual case information in forensic toxicology testing. Two experiments were conducted in this study. The first focused on the interpretation of immunoassay screening data and the error rates of the participants’ conclusions. The participants were asked …
The effect of contextual information on decision-making in forensic toxicologyRead More
Washington State Patrol’s toxicology lab ran tests in office contaminated by meth, possibly jeopardizing thousands of cases
The effect of contextual information on decision-making in forensic toxicology
This study investigates the effects of contextual information on forensic toxicology testing and analysis. By Hilary J. Hamlett & Itiel E. Dror
The effect of contextual information on decision-making in forensic toxicologyRead More