Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment 2016 review of the available scientific evidence finding: There is limited scientific evidence that the triad and therefore its components can be associated with traumatic shaking (low quality evidence). There is insufficient scientific evidence on which to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the triad in identifying traumatic shaking (very …
Resources
Weak DNA evidence could undermine justice, experts say
Chicago Tribune article uses a case example to demonstrate the dangers of using DNA evidence that has very little probative value. New technology is allowing DNA analysis to be performed on very small amounts of DNA which may generate incomplete genetic profiles that may or may not be meaningful in a case.
Weak DNA evidence could undermine justice, experts sayRead More
What’s In a (Trade) Name?
Today, the court of appeals reversed a defendant’s drug convictions because the indictments identified the controlled substances in question using terms that are widely used to describe the drugs, but that are neither the chemical names listed in the controlled substance schedules nor – according to the court – “trade names” for the drugs. Because …
The Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age
This one-day NACDL symposium was recorded on April 3, 2015 and is available for free viewing. Topics include how digital searches, government surveillance programs and new technologies are impacting Fourth Amendment protections in criminal cases.
Forensic DNA Mixups
Feb. 2015 Ted Talk video by Dr. Greg Hampikian covers forensic DNA errors including statistical and interpretation errors and contamination issues.
The path forward on bite mark matching – and the rearview mirror
4-part Washington Post series on the flawed “science” of bite mark analysis
The path forward on bite mark matching – and the rearview mirrorRead More
Field Documentation of Unusual Post-Mortem Arthropod Activity on Human Remains
Jeffrey B. Welty, Digital Evidence
A guide to the legal issues presented by the collection of digital evidence in criminal cases, written mainly for North Carolina judges, lawyers, and officers. This book addresses how such evidence may be obtained and the rules that govern its use in court and is available for purchase.
Erin E. Murphy, Inside the Cell: The Dark Side of Forensic DNA
James C. Garriott, Ed., Garriott’s Medicolegal Aspects of Alcohol (4th, 5th, and 6th ed)
NIJ Fingerprint Sourcebook
This National Institute of Justice publication was prepared by SWGFAST in 2011. All 15 chapters are available for free online. This publication sets standards for fingerprint identification and addresses issues such as bias and reliability of the technique
John M. Butler, Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Interpretation
Identifying the Culprit Assessing Eyewitness Identification (2014)
The National Academy of Sciences issued a landmark report evaluating the scientific research on memory and eyewitness identification in October 2014. The report provides recommendations for improving police identification procedures and for how courts should handle eyewitness evidence. The report is available for purchase or free download.
Identifying the Culprit Assessing Eyewitness Identification (2014)Read More
False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: a review
Explains possible cross-reactivities/false positives in urine drug screens. Full article available for download.
False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: a reviewRead More
Guidelines on Mobile Device Forensics
NIST has published these guidelines that establishes methods for preserving and processing digital information on mobile devices.