Minnesota trial court order from 2025 excluding testimony regarding interpretation of a complex DNA mixture for a claimed 5-person indistinguishable mixture on the ground that the lab’s interpretation of the profile exceeded the bounds of their validations. Another sample that was a 2-person mixture containing 180 pg of DNA was also excluded on the ground …
Resources
The Diminished Capacity Defense in Capital Litigation: A Summary Explanation (2025)
Paper by retired Assistant Capital Defender Vince Rabil. Available upon request. Email sarah.r.olson@nccourts.org
The Diminished Capacity Defense in Capital Litigation: A Summary Explanation (2025)Read More
Mental Health Defenses—Diminished Capacity and Voluntary Intoxication: What Can the Expert Say?
State v. Darryl Nieves (NJ Supreme Court 2025)
In this appeal, the Court considers whether expert testimony regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) is sufficiently reliable to go before a jury in two separate cases — State v. Nieves and State v. Cifelli. The defense in both cases moved to exclude the testimony, challenging the scientific basis and reliability of the theory …
Capacity to Proceed in Criminal Cases in North Carolina
This 2025 Administration of Justice Bulletin by John Rubin covers the three main phases of the capacity-to-proceed process: a mental health examination; a hearing to determine capacity; and proceedings after a determination of incapacity—that is, involuntary commitment and disposition of the criminal case.
Capacity to Proceed in Criminal Cases in North CarolinaRead More
Long-term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: Forensic Implications
Free webinar offered by Godoy Medical Forensics
Long-term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: Forensic ImplicationsRead More
Demystifying Traumatic Brain Injury
Free webinar offered by Godoy Medical Forensics
Pediatric Strangulation: Not Just “Little Adults”
Free webinar offered by Godoy Medical Forensics
Alternate Light Source Photography
Free to attend webinar offered by Godoy Medical Forensics
Decoding Toxicology Lab Reports from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Other Crime Labs
Free live webinar offered by the Union County Public Defender’s Office, the Union County Bar, and NC Indigent Defense Services
Decoding Toxicology Lab Reports from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Other Crime LabsRead More
NC Prosecutors’ Resource Online
Section 724.1 et seq contains guidance on admissibility of various forms of digital evidence.
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Biology Testing Explained
Free webinar offered by IDS. Program will not be recorded.
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Biology Testing ExplainedRead More
The Care, Feeding, and Discovery of Expert Witnesses
Free to attend live webinar offered by the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office
The Care, Feeding, and Discovery of Expert WitnessesRead More
Defending Drug Overdose Homicides Trainings
Free recorded presentations, sample pleadings and more offered by NACDL
State v. Moore, 2025 N.C. App. Lexis 467
Trial court erred in allowing State’s Drug Recognition Expert’s testimony where the DRE’s testimony did not apply the certification principles and methods reliably to the facts of this case. In the case at hand, the DRE performed an evaluation based on a video viewed after the incident whereas protocol required a live in person evaluation …