2007 report by the American Civil Liberties Union on mental illness defenses and how they can be used under North Carolina statutes and case law.
Mental Illness and the Death Penalty in North CarolinaRead More
Resources
Drug Dogs – Reliability Issues and Case Law – How Good is that Doggie’s Nose?
Outline of LeAnn Melton’s 2007 Public Defender Conference training addresses case law, discovery requests, and potential areas for cross examination of dog handlers.
Drug Dogs – Reliability Issues and Case Law – How Good is that Doggie’s Nose?Read More
FBI Lab Scraps Gunfire Residue
by Julie Bykowicz, The Baltimore Sun. 2006 article which discusses a 2001 contamination study and the FBI’s decision to no longer analyze gunshot residue in its investigations.
Detector Dogs and Probable Cause
Richard E. Myers II, 14 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 1 (2006) – argues that an alert by even a well-trained dog with an exceptional track record cannot by itself constitute probable cause to search. Includes a statistical analysis of the value of dog alerts and suggestions for improved use of detector dogs.
Inspector General’s Report on the FBI Mayfield Error
A review of the FBI’s handling of the Brandon Mayfield case (March 2006). The Office of the Inspector General focuses on the causes of the fingerprint misidentification in the Mayfield case and proposes possible solutions to prevent future fingerprint analysis errors. The enormous size of the IAFIS database and the power of the IAFIS program …
Inspector General’s Report on the FBI Mayfield ErrorRead More
David R. Teddy, DWI Trial Notebook (2d ed.)
Werner U. Spitz, Ed., Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation (4th ed.)
Lucien C. Haag, Shooting Incident Reconstruction
Edward E. Hueske, Practical Analysis and Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents
William C. Head, The DUI Book: A Citizen’s Handbook on Fighting a Drunk Driving Case
National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners
2006 DOJ manual sets out standards for the specialized education of sexual assault forensic examiners.
National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic ExaminersRead More
Determine Whether Your Client Has A Cognitive Disability: A Checklist
In 2005, The Partners in Justice created this checklist of common traits typical of individuals with a cognitive disability and screening questions an attorney can ask if they suspect their client has a cognitive disability.
Determine Whether Your Client Has A Cognitive Disability: A ChecklistRead More
Summary of the FBI Laboratory’s Gunshot Residue Symposium, May 31-June 3, 2005
Article that summarizes the findings of a group of scientists and practitioners who met to address issues with gunshot residue analysis and attempt to create guidelines for this type of analysis. This document references several studies that have been published regarding contamination of subjects and proper collection, testing, and reporting procedures.
Summary of the FBI Laboratory’s Gunshot Residue Symposium, May 31-June 3, 2005Read More
More than Zero: Accounting for Error in Latent Fingerprint Identification
by Simon Cole, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 95, No. 3, 2005 – Comprehensive review of what is known about the potential error rate of latent print identification. Includes all known cases of fingerprint misattributions. Examines proficiency test data as well as the profession’s and courts’ efforts to minimize or dismiss fingerprint error. …
More than Zero: Accounting for Error in Latent Fingerprint IdentificationRead More