Forensic ResourcesNorth Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
// 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
UNC School of Government blog post by Jeff Welty that explains the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 holding in Florida v. Harris. Harris holds that when a trained and certified drug dog alerts on a vehicle, that normally provides probable cause to search the car, even if there are no records regarding the dog’s performance in the field. …
Supreme Court: Alert by a Trained or Certified Drug Dog Normally Provides Probable CauseRead More
// by Sarah Olson
// by Sarah Olson
UNC School of Government blog post by Jessica Smith
Experts in Child Sex Cases: Reversible Error in a Recent CaseRead More
// by Sarah Olson
Article by William A. Tobin and Peter J. Blau that argues that existing studies that are typically presented in court as support for firearm/projectile comparisons are fatally flawed and thus are of no value for validation of the techniques used. The authors offer a solution that would allow a scientifically defensible opinion to be proffered …
// by Sarah Olson
by William C. Thompson, Laurence D. Mueller, and Dan E. Krane. The Champion, Dec. 2012. This article is a must-read for attorneys dealing with cases with DNA evidence. The authors show how subjectivity and bias may play a role in DNA analysis, particularly in cases involving very small amounts of DNA, partial profiles, or mixtures.
Forensic DNA Statistics: Still Controversial In Some CasesRead More
// by Sarah Olson
On Nov. 29, 2012, the Oregon Supreme Court issued an important decision, which places the burden on the state to establish the reliability of the eyewitness identification and recognizes and requires courts to act in a manner consistent with the latest scientific research on eyewitness identification and memory. This opinion may be useful in NC …
// by Sarah Olson
Ms. Canen’s 2005 murder conviction in IN was overturned in Nov. 2012 after she spent eight years in prison. A fingerprint that was a crucial piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case against her was found not to be hers. An Arizona fingerprint expert discovered that a sheriff’s detective misidentified a fingerprint found on a …
// by Sarah Olson
Mr. Allen’s 1983 rape and murder conviction in MO was reversed in Nov. 2012, though the state is appealing the reversal. In this case, it was discovered that there are seven usable fingerprints from the crime scene that do not match anyone involved, though police testified at trial that the fingerprints matched the victim, the …
// by Sarah Olson
UNC School of Government blog post by Jessica Smith
// 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
UNC School of Government blog post by Shea Denning that examines the status of dog sniffs under the Fourth Amendment as it applies to searches of individuals if a dog alerts to the person.
// 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
Section 6 of this law extends the time for local forensic science labs (other than the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory) to become accredited from October 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013. Section 6.1 clarifies which State Crime Laboratory employees are required to become certified.