Board-certified forensic psychologists Dr. Daniel J. Neller and Dr. Maureen L. Reardon regularly review the latest contents of hundreds of scholarly journals in the behavioral sciences; analyze studies of greatest benefit to trial attorneys; and present key findings in a concise and simple format. 2020Volume 1Volume 2Volume 3Volume 4 2021Volume 1Volume 2Volume 3
Featured Articles
Summary: The Little Rascals Daycare Case
PBS Frontline (1997). Summary of the Little Rascal Daycare Case.
UNC School of Government Blog: Diminished Capacity
Jeff Welty discusses the increasing use of diminished capacity defenses in North Carolina. Post provides helpful cites of recent North Carolina cases in which the diminished capacity defense was used.
Evidence on Fire: North Carolina Law Review Article on the Admissibility of Fire-Science Evidence in Criminal Cases
Valena E. Beety et. al, Evidence on Fire, 97 N.C. L. Rev. 483, 516 (March 2019)
In Glowing Colors: Seeing the Spread of Drug Particles in a Forensic Lab
Discusses the paper below and shows black-light videos that help illustrate the risk of cross contamination in a forensic drug lab. E. Sisco, M.E. Staymates, A. Burns. An easy to implement approach for laboratories to visualize particle spread during the handling and analysis of drug evidence. Forensic Chemistry. Published online March 11, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2020.100232
In Glowing Colors: Seeing the Spread of Drug Particles in a Forensic LabRead More
Psychological Assessments in Legal Contexts: Are Courts Keeping “Junk Science” Out of the Courtroom?
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 …
Cognitive Biases in the Peer Review of Bullet and Cartridge Case Comparison Casework: A Field Study
Jan. 28, 2020 article in Science & Justice finding that bias occurs in non-blind peer reviewed bullet and cartridge case comparisons. Higher status examiners have a large influence on the outcome of a discussion. Blind peer review may reduce the probability of bias during peer review.
NIST Tests Forensic Methods for Getting Data From Damaged Mobile Phones
This study looks at two methods for accessing data on damaged mobile phones.
NIST Tests Forensic Methods for Getting Data From Damaged Mobile PhonesRead More
Obtaining Medical Records in DWI Cases
Jan. 27, 2020 North Carolina Criminal Law blog post by Shea Denning
Defending Death by Distribution Cases
Jan. 21, 2020 NC Criminal Law blog post by Phil Dixon with links to resources for defenders litigating the new crimes of death by distribution and aggravated death by distribution in G.S. 14-18.4 cases.
Mock Jurors’ Evaluation of Firearm Examiner Testimony
Garrett, B.L, Scurich, N, & Crozier, W.E. (2020)
Mock Jurors’ Evaluation of Firearm Examiner TestimonyRead More
Fingerprints and Miscarriages of Justice: ‘Other’ Types of Error and A Post-Conviction Right to Database Searching
This July 2018 article by Simon Cole and Barry Scheck provides a systematic and comprehensive examination of “other” types of error in friction ridge analysis beyond erroneous identifications, including 40 publicly-exposed cases containing these errors. The article also calls for access to post-conviction database searching of fingerprint and other forensic databases.
No Longer the Gold Standard: Probabilistic Genotyping is Changing the Nature of DNA Evidence in Criminal Trials
Compelled Decryption Primer
NACDL’s Fourth Amendment Center has published a primer on whether law enforcement can compel a suspect to unlock or decrypt a device.
A Systematic Challenge to the Reliability and Admissibility of Firearms and Toolmark Identification
Article by Adina Schwartz, in The Columbia Science and Technology Law Review