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 …
Resources
An experimental investigation of the indirect transfer and deposition of gunshot residue: Further studies carried out with SEM–EDX analysis
In this research study, as many as 22 particles were found to have undergone tertiary transfer via a series of handshakes following a firearm discharge. Significant numbers of particles were also recovered from bystanders, with as many as 36 being detected on a sample taken from an individual who was in the proximity of a …
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.
Post Mortem: Death Investigation in America
Investigative series compiled by Pro Publica, in partnership investigation with NPR and Frontline that looks at the nation’s 2,300 coroner and medical examiner offices and reports on problems identified with the system.
State v. Bailey
This 2014 NY decision grants a new trial to the Defendant. The decision describes how new medical research casts doubts on the Shaken Baby Syndrome hypothesis and shows that short falls (which this case involved) can cause death.