North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
// by Sarah Olson
Chris Swecker and Michael Wolf were retained by the NC Attorney General’s Office to conduct an independent review of the Forensic Biology Section of the SBI Crime Laboratory. The investigation began in March 2010 and focuses on policies, procedures and practices between 1987 and 2003. The Appendix to the report contains a list of affected …
An Independent Review of the SBI Forensic LaboratoryRead More
// by Sarah Olson
by Roland AH van Oorschot etal. Investigative Genetics (2010). In a very accessible way, this article describes issues associated with what is often called “touch DNA.” Topics covered include evidence collection, DNA extraction, amplification, profiling and interpretation of trace DNA samples.
// by Sarah Olson
Addiction. 2009 December: 104(12):2040-2048. This study finds that THC concentrations persist in whole blood multiple days after drug discontinuation in heavy chronic cannabis users.
// by Sarah Olson
by Brandon Garrett and Peter Neufeld, Virginia Law Review, Vol. 95, No. 1 (2009) – a study of the forensic science testimony by prosecution experts in the trials persons later exonerated by post-conviction DNA testing.
Invalid Forensic Science Testimony and Wrongful ConvictionsRead More
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 179-182 for the National Research Counsel’s evaluation of Digital and Multimedia Analysis.
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 128-133 for the National Research Counsel’s description of the forensic use of Deoxyribonucleic acid
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 241-268 for the National Research Council’s assessment of the disciplines of forensic pathology and death investigation.
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 173-176 for the National Research Council’s evaluation of forensic odontology. The report finds “there is continuing dispute over the value and scientific validity of comparing and identifying bite marks.” p. 173. The report lists the following concerns: “Bite marks on the skin will change over time”; Bite marks “can be distorted by the elasticity …
// by Sarah Olson
2009 report by the National Academy of Sciences (known as the NAS Report) which found serious problems in forensic science research and practice and recommended an overhaul of the current structure that supports the forensic science community.
Strenthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path ForwardRead More
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 136-150 for the National Research Council’s assessment of the discipline of fingerprint analysis. The 2009 NAS Report cited “a thorough analysis of the ACE-V method” that concluded: “‘We have reviewed available scientific evidence of the validity of the ACE-V method and found none.’” pp. 142-143 (citation omitted).
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 133-136 for the National Research Counsel’s assessment of the analysis of controlled substances.
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 150-155 for the National Research Counsel’s assessment of the discipline of Toolmark and Firearms Identification.
// by Sarah Olson
The National Academies Press, 2008. Provides information about the range of acceptable conclusions in this field, as well as the lack of error rate and subjectivity of the comparison techniques.
// by Alec Rees
2007 report by the American Civil Liberties Union on mental illness defenses and how they can be used under North Carolina statutes and case law.
Mental Illness and the Death Penalty in North CarolinaRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Richard E. Myers II, 14 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 1 (2006) – argues that an alert by even a well-trained dog with an exceptional track record cannot by itself constitute probable cause to search. Includes a statistical analysis of the value of dog alerts and suggestions for improved use of detector dogs.