North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
// by Alec Rees
John Rubin & Alyson Grine, NORTH CAROLINA DEFENDER MANUAL, VOL. 1 PRETRIAL (2d ed. 2013). Discusses in detail the standards for capacity to proceed, how attorneys can recognize signs of impairment, the ethical concerns with questioning capacity, and the potential benefits and harms of raising an incapacity question.
North Carolina Defender Manual: Chapter 2, Capacity to ProceedRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Letter from the DOJ regarding the results of a US DOJ and FBI review of lab reports and testimony of FBI lab examiners in the Willie Manning case finds that testimony stating that a specific gun fired a specific bullet “to the exclusion of all other guns in the world” is not scientifically supported.
// by Sarah Olson
U.S. Department of Justice, FBI Laboratory Division. Provides guidance and procedures for methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence and describes the forensic examinations performed by the FBI’s Laboratory Division and Operational Technology Division.
// by Sarah Olson
Developed by the National Forensic Science Technology Center and is available for free download.
Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement (2013)Read More
// by Sarah Olson
2013 NIST handbook offers guidance for individuals involved in the collection, examination, tracking, packaging, storing and disposition of biological evidence
The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence HandlersRead More
// by Sarah Olson
U.S. Department of Justice protocol focusing on the immediate response of medical and other professionals in reference to medical treatment and evidence gathering from sexual assault or abuse victims. It addresses the role of advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other responders in the medical forensic exam process.
National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic ExaminationsRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Examines the controversy concerning Shaken Baby Syndrome and how emerging medical research is prompting the legal system to re-examine SBS convictions. Click on the link and then click Download This Paper at the top of the page to read the full article.
Examining Shaken Baby Syndrome Convictions in Light of New Medical Scientific ResearchRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2012 October; 223(4): 439-446. This study finds that Standardized Field Sobriety Tests are only mildly sensitive to impairment from cannabis in heavy users. THC produced impairment on SFST performance in 30-50% of participants.
// by Sarah Olson
Explains the history of the Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma diagnosis, discusses the ongoing debates around this diagnosis, reviews and critiques the scientific literature supporting the diagnosis, and discusses the appropriateness of testimony related to SBS/AHT under the Daubert standard. The full text article is available for free download by clicking the “download this paper” …
Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, and Actual Innocence: Getting It RightRead More
// by Sarah Olson
This manual was written by a group of experienced defense attorneys and DNA experts. Its approach to basic and advanced topics is easy to understand. In addition to explaining the science and techniques of DNA analysis, the manual offers advice on topics such as opening and closing statements, jury selection, and cross examination.
// by Alec Rees
April 2012 report created by the Incapacity to Proceed Committee of the North Carolina General Assembly which includes the Committee’s findings and recommendations for future capacity to proceed legislation.
Report from the Incapacity to Proceed Committee of the North Carolina General AssemblyRead More
// by Sarah Olson
NIJ-funded research that looked at 460 violent felonies between 1980 and 2012 to determine what factors led to a wrongful conviction of an innocent defendant instead of dismissal or acquittal. Factors identified by researchers include: a younger defendant, a criminal history, a weak prosecution case, prosecution withheld evidence, lying by a non-eyewitness, unintentional witness misidentification, …
// by Sarah Olson
by Paul C. Giannelli. This paper addresses the scientific, law enforcement and legal reasons for a lack of research across many forensic disciplines from a historical perspective as well as in light of the National Academy of Sciences’ report. Click on “one-click download” to view the full text article.
// by Sarah Olson
Report submitted by Judge Vince Rozier during his time as Ombudsman to the SBI. The document includes a memo by Judge Joseph John responding to the recommendations of the Ombudsman. The report was released by the SBI in Aug. 2011.
// by Sarah Olson
NPR investigative report from June 29, 2011 by Joseph Shapiro. Link contains audio and text.