North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services
// by Sarah Olson
2009 report by the National Academy of Sciences (known as the NAS Report) which found serious problems in forensic science research and practice and recommended an overhaul of the current structure that supports the forensic science community.
Strenthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path ForwardRead More
// by Sarah Olson
// by Sarah Olson
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 136-150 for the National Research Council’s assessment of the discipline of fingerprint analysis. The 2009 NAS Report cited “a thorough analysis of the ACE-V method” that concluded: “‘We have reviewed available scientific evidence of the validity of the ACE-V method and found none.’” pp. 142-143 (citation omitted).
// by Sarah Olson
// by Sarah Olson
by Gary Wells and Deah Quinlivan, Law Hum Behav (2009) 33:1-24.
// by Sarah Olson
Testimony from a DRE was improper where the DRE did not personally observe the defendant but instead based his opinion on review of records.
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 133-136 for the National Research Counsel’s assessment of the analysis of controlled substances.
// by Sarah Olson
See pp. 150-155 for the National Research Counsel’s assessment of the discipline of Toolmark and Firearms Identification.
// by Sarah Olson
by Dennis L. McGuire, M.S., Forensic Magazine – discusses the lack of a uniform standard for GSR analyses based upon validated studies. States that until those studies are completed, “positive determinations of GSR should be seriously scrutinized.”
The Controversy Concerning Gunshot Residues ExaminationsRead More
// by Alec Rees
A PowerPoint presentation created in 2008 by Wake County’s Office of Public Defender provides helpful tips for North Carolina attorneys when they suspect that their client may be incapable of proceeding to trial.
A Presentation on Capacity to Proceed: How to Get Your Client EvaluatedRead More
// by Alec Rees
For the 2008 Public Defender Spring Conference, Lisa Miles surveys 186 cases in which the court found evidence sufficient or not sufficient to warrant an instruction on voluntary intoxication, diminished capacity, or unconsciousness.
The Defenses of Voluntary Intoxication, Diminished Capacity, and UnconsciousnessRead More
// by Chris Liu-Beers
A California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) report by John Kelly. The report is largely based on the research of Dr. Frederic Whitehurst who tested field drug test kits and exposed and documented that they render false positives with legal substances. The report focuses on the Duquenois-Levine and KN Reagent tests used to test for …
// by Sarah Olson
For crimes committed on or after March 1, 2008, the Eyewitness Identification Reform Act (EIRA) creates procedural guidelines for eyewitness identifications during photo lineups and live lineups. This legislation is codified at N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-284.50 through 15A-284.53 (2007).
// by Sarah Olson