FSN: Forensic Science News » Courtroom Anecdotes http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes and Opinion by a Real Forensic Scientist Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:20:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Case Story : Aim High http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/military-criminal-defense-attorney-aim-high-us-serviceman-shooting/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/military-criminal-defense-attorney-aim-high-us-serviceman-shooting/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:56 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=782 Military criminal defense attorneys contacted me to aide in the defense of a US serviceman who was charged with committing a drive-by shooting. I reviewed the case material, and said I didn’t think I would be able to help much, because the evidence I needed to examine had been destroyed when the

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]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/military-criminal-defense-attorney-aim-high-us-serviceman-shooting/feed/ 0 More on Melendez-Diaz http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/more-on-melendez-diaz/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/more-on-melendez-diaz/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:16:35 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=402 The following article can be viewed in full here.

The article opens up with this statement:

Get ready to trade your lab coat for a suit coat. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last Thursday will require crime lab analysts to appear in court and submit to cross-examination if their reports are entered into evidence. This

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  6. Wisconsin Department of Justice doesn’t “get it”
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]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/more-on-melendez-diaz/feed/ 0 MELENDEZ-DIAZ v. MASSACHUSETTS http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/melendez-diaz-v-massachusetts/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/melendez-diaz-v-massachusetts/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:16:36 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=395 The recent Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts has sent a shockwave through the forensic science community in the United States.

In a community comment forum for forensic scientists, there was a comment from an analyst from another country, that stated they didn’t see what the big deal

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  4. Virginia sneaks around Melendez-Diaz, to deny 6th Amendment to Accused
  5. The Sky is Falling!!! — More Melendez-Diaz Complaints
  6. Wisconsin Department of Justice doesn’t “get it”
  7. Laboratory Analyst Falsifies Lab Report
  8. Ohio seems to “get it”
  9. State hits crime lab on DNA cache
]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/melendez-diaz-v-massachusetts/feed/ 1 Amazing Defensive Technique http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/amazing-defensive-technique/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/amazing-defensive-technique/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:32:39 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=387 I was recently required to come testify on an old case I worked for a local police department a number of years ago. The actual work I performed was hardly a “case breaker”.

I simply looked at casings and projectiles recovered by police and inter-compared them, so see if they were fired from

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/amazing-defensive-technique/feed/ 1 Casefile: Aim High http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/casefile-aim-high/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/casefile-aim-high/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:08:30 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=153 Good forensic scientists are supposed to be impartial. Their job is to simply explain to a jury what the physical evidence means in a case. Forensic scientists don’t have a horse in the race, so to speak. Regardless of which side calls them for testimony, some forensic testimony can help

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/casefile-aim-high/feed/ 0 CSI Episode Reviews Delay http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/csi-episode-reviews-delay/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/csi-episode-reviews-delay/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:14:27 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=107 As many of you have noticed and informed me, I am running a bit behind on my CSI Episode reviews. I have all the episodes DVR’d, but my work schedule has me out of state 3 out of 4 weeks recently. I will do my best to catch up starting next

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/csi-episode-reviews-delay/feed/ 0 Scientific Forensicists http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/scientific-forensicists/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/scientific-forensicists/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:26:27 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=49

[ratings]

I have a hard time believing what some attorneys testify to during trials. Well, I guess they aren’t officially testifying, but they are stating their opinion on the matter, and end their pontification with a seldomly agreed to, “Do you agree?”

Recently I was testifying in court, and I was asked by the

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/scientific-forensicists/feed/ 1 Mesa PD 0.00 BAC DUI Arrest? http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/mesa-pd-retaliatory-dui-arrest/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/mesa-pd-retaliatory-dui-arrest/#comments Sat, 31 May 2008 00:27:27 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=34 [ratings] Originally posted in New Times here:

I heard about this arrest right after it had happened. Mr. Squires was worried he would need my assistance looking over the laboratory data in case it came back with ANY alcohol at all, since he KNEW his wife hadn’t had anything to drink. He asked

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/mesa-pd-retaliatory-dui-arrest/feed/ 2 The subpoena… http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/the-subpoena/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/the-subpoena/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:20:29 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=6 [ratings] As a witness for trials, sometimes you can be served with a subpoena. Subpoenas are official court documents, usually signed by a judge, ordering you to appear at a courtroom at a certain date and time. There is usually a clause in the subpoena stating that failure to show can result

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/the-subpoena/feed/ 0 Courtroom Waiting… http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/courtroom-waiting/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/courtroom-waiting/#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:26:00 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=5 [ratings] Here is an old “rant” I posted years ago about the waiting one does for court cases. At the end of the post I’ll add updated comments and perspectives now that I’m a private consultant, and no longer a government employee.

rant

Ever wonder why the people complain about how inefficient government is?

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No related posts.]]> http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/courtroom-waiting/feed/ 0 Welcome to Bench Notes… http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/welcome-to-bench-notes/ http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/welcome-to-bench-notes/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:32:33 +0000 Forensics Guy http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/?p=4 Welcome to Bench Notes. This is a blog that will hopefully highlight some funny court anecdotes, and give readers an inside look at forensic science.

The other day I was testifying in a firearms related case. I had been retained by the defense, but neither side was arguing the firearms related evidence.

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