Decision on a Frye Motion requesting that the court preclude all ballistic expert testimony comparing shell casings from the crime scene to a gun found in one of the defendants’ car. The court concluded that an expert cannot offer opinions that are not supported by the relevant scientific community. Testimony by an expert that is …
Resources
The US Department of Justice stumbles on visual perception
2021 PNAS article by Thomas D. Albright
The US Department of Justice stumbles on visual perceptionRead More
Statistical Methods for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Presenter: Hal Stern. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Statistical Methods for Bloodstain Pattern AnalysisRead More
Subclass Characterization and Analysis of Firearms
Presenter: Keith Morris. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Evaluating Foundational Validity of Toolmark Analysis
Presenter: Maria Cuellar. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Evaluating Foundational Validity of Toolmark AnalysisRead More
A Field Analysis of Laboratory Case Processing: Print Comparison and Examiner Conclusions
Presenter: Brett Gardner. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
A Field Analysis of Laboratory Case Processing: Print Comparison and Examiner ConclusionsRead More
Treatment of Inconclusive Results in Error Rates of Firearms Studies
Presenter: Heike Hofmann. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Treatment of Inconclusive Results in Error Rates of Firearms StudiesRead More
Mt. Everest—We are Going to Lose Many: A Survey of Fingerprint Examiners’ Attitudes Towards Probabilistic Reporting
Presenter: Simon Cole. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Judges and Forensic Science Education: A National Survey
Presenter: Brandon Garrett. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
Judges and Forensic Science Education: A National SurveyRead More
Implementing Blind Proficiency Testing in Forensic Laboratories: Motivation, Obstacles, and Recommendations
Presenter: Robin Mejia. Offered by CSAFE, on June 14, 2021. Recording and materials are available.
NIST Publishes Review of DNA Mixture Interpretation Methods
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a report, DNA Mixture Interpretation: A Scientific Foundation Review, which reviews the methods forensic laboratories use to interpret evidence containing a mixture of DNA from two or more people.
NIST Publishes Review of DNA Mixture Interpretation MethodsRead More
The Forensic Microbiome: The Invisible Traces We Leave Behind
Accuracy and Reproducibility of Conclusions by Forensic Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
R. Austin Hicklin, Kevin R. Winer, Paul E. Kish, Connie L. Parks, William Chapman, Kensley Dunagan, Nicole Richetelli, Eric G. Epstein, Madeline A. Ausdemore, Thomas A. Busey,. Forensic Science International, 2021. Highlights: Conclusions by bloodstain pattern analysts were often erroneous and often contradicted other analysts On samples with known causes, 11.2% of responses were erroneous …
Accuracy and Reproducibility of Conclusions by Forensic Bloodstain Pattern AnalystsRead More
AI Case Study: Probabilistic Genotyping DNA Tools in Canadian Criminal Courts
A report of the Law Commission of Ontario which considers the role and impact of AI-driven probabilistic genotyping technology to generate evidence used in the criminal justice system. The report makes a number of recommendations based on concerns that PG DNA evidence may lead to wrongful convictions if not properly regulated.
AI Case Study: Probabilistic Genotyping DNA Tools in Canadian Criminal CourtsRead More
NIBIN Toolkit for Prosecutors
Explains how the NIBIN database works to search for possible connections between bullets or casings fired a separate crime scenes. Explains that every NIBIN lead must be verified by a firearms examiner. The NIBIN technician report of a lead is not sufficient reliable and should not be the basis of testimony. Advises prosecutors not to …