FSN: Forensic Science News

Crime Labs Should Stop Catering to Police and Prosecutors

Forensics Guy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:17:22 +0000

FGI-FSN —

I’ve commented many times about the inherent problem with crime labs being a part of, or directly supervised by police or prosecutors.

Below is an article that gives evidence as to why.

But it’s been a long-standing problem in Texas and elsewhere that medical examiners and crime labs tend to see police and prosecutors as

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Ultimate in Concealed Carry

Forensics Guy — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:16:22 +0000

FGI-FSN —

In my years as a forensic firearms examiner I’ve seen some crappy firearms, but this one takes the cake.

Cops Believe North Carolina Inmate Hid 10-Inch Revolver In His Rectum. Luckily, It Was Unloaded.

Read the whole story on The Smoking Gun

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National Transportation Safety Board Wants All Cell Phone Use Banned in Cars

Forensics Guy — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:00:56 +0000

FGI-FSN —

I called this 7 years ago while working for a police agency. My co-workers laughed at me, thinking I was “crazy”.

Now the official recommendation has come out.

Now the only thing the government needs to figure out is how big of a fine they can get away with.

Expect a big public relations media campaign

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Alcohol Impairs Your Judgment

Forensics Guy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:53 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Good — Having a designated driver if you plan on drinking.

Bad — Having your 9 year old be your designated driver.

This guy is facing some serious charges. Thankfully no one was hurt. Remember, even at low levels, some people’s judgment can be impaired.

His obviously was.

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Michigan — A suburban Detroit man

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San Francisco Offers to be Re-Inspected in Wake of DNA Scandal

Forensics Guy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:00:50 +0000

FGI-FSN —

So after ASCLD-LAB failed to find the errors in the San Francisco DNA crime lab in the 2010 accreditation cycle, the new chief proposes a re-inspection by the same association will increase the public’s faith in the lab?

There ARE other accreditation bodies. Maybe ASCLD-LAB isn’t doing that great of a job? We keep

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Federal Drug Charges for Former SFPD Crime Lab Supervisor

Forensics Guy — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:42 +0000

FGI-FSN —

In an interesting turn of events former San Francisco criminalist, Deborah Madden, has been brought up on federal charges, even after the state opted to not press charges (SFGate).

Apparently there is a limit to what even government employees can get away with, in that crazy San Francisco.

Madden, 61, who has not been jailed

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Seriously TSA?

Forensics Guy — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:12:02 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Seriously? It’s an all to common expression nowadays, but apropos to this story.

A teen carrying a purse with a firearm DESIGN, was detained by the TSA at the airport.

Seriously?

What’s next? T-shirts that have images of firearms?

Vanessa Gibbs, 17, said officials with the Transportation Security Administration at Norfolk International Airport stopped her during a

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Another Attempt By the State to Shield Forensics From Cross-Examination

Forensics Guy — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:02:11 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Another case to be heard by the US Supreme Court where the State doesn’t want their forensic science evidence questioned by the defense.

ON Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Williams v. Illinois, the latest in a string of cases addressing whether the Sixth Amendment’s confrontation clause — which gives the

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MELENDEZ-DIAZ v. MASSACHUSETTS

Oakland County Crime Lab Wants to Start DNA Testing

Forensics Guy — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Oakland County Crime Lab has recently been ASCLD-LAB certified. They claim that as a result they can apply for federal grants. They could always apply, ASCLD-LAB doesn’t have control over federal grant money, yet.

The Michigan State Police Crime Lab is right to seemingly question “why?”

DNA, like trace analysis, is a discipline

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Fairness Needed In Forensic Labs

Forensics Guy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:00:22 +0000

FGI-FSN —

When a lab has a policy to deliberately obfuscate the results of forensic examinations, in order to support the prosecution’s theory of the case, that’s gross institutional bias.

They aren’t even trying to pretend to be fair, impartial scientists.

It might be time to consider hiring new employees who haven’t been tainted with such unprofessional

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County Crime Lab Needed Help From Private Forensic Lab

Forensics Guy — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:00:16 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Private labs are often needed to help perform specialty or quick turn-around time analysis. Sometimes it’s more cost effective to pay an outside private lab to perform analysis, then to commit a significant portion of the crime lab staff for extended periods of time on a single case.

The DA’s office charged Nasmeh

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Malaysian Crime Accreditation Failure on Trial

Forensics Guy — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:41:59 +0000

FGI-FSN —

While accreditation may be voluntary, if a lab attempts to be accredited and fails after having two extensions, that information should be made available to juries.

It let’s the juries know that the lab in question is not up to the standards of the accreditation body. It doesn’t necessarily mean the results are wrong,

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Nassau County Crime Lab Woes Lead to New Trials

Forensics Guy — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:00:01 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Criminal defense attorneys are well aware it’s crucial in a forensic laboratory for proper protocols to be followed. Analysts are also being held accountable for their work product. Gone are the days of sheltering analysts from cross-examination by having a more senior employee testify on their behalf.

Problems of these types are

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Houston Leaders Want Crime Lab Out Of Police Department

Forensics Guy — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:00:52 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Houston PD Crime Lab, an oh too common topic on this website, is under the cross-hairs of it’s own city council. They are looking to yank the crime lab out of the police department because police chiefs aren’t scientists and not qualified to run a laboratory — good point!

The Houston Police Department’s

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Nomenclature: Centerfire Ammunition

Forensics Guy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:00:28 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Depending on popularity, I am starting a series of educational posts related to forensic science. I am modeling this series of posts on common testimony I have to give a jury, so that everyone is on the same page before we get to the meat of the case.

First thing. This is

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Forensics Guy Joins Google+

Forensics Guy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:00:22 +0000

FGI-FSN —

Upgraded to Google+?

http://gplus.to/ForensicsGuy

If you are a regular reader, contact us if you need a Google+ invite.

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CODIS Wont Accept DNA Samples From Connecticut Crime Lab

Forensics Guy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:00:22 +0000

FGI-FSN —

After losing their accreditation, the FBI will no longer accept DNA samples data into CODIS.

There is more fallout from the lack of accreditation for the state police forensic lab: The federal DNA data bank is not accepting new Connecticut DNA samples from convicted offenders.

Michael P. Lawlor, chief of criminal justice policy and planning

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“Elite Accreditation”???

Forensics Guy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:00:58 +0000

FGI-FSN —

What is this “new elite accreditation” the article writes about? It’s actually just the new version of ASCLD-LAB accreditation. It’s based on an ISO standard. The old accreditation is no longer offered, so the article seems very pro-lab biased.

The Maryland State Police crime lab in Pikesville has received an elite

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State Crime Lab Loses ASCLD-LAB Accreditation

Forensics Guy — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:00:07 +0000

FGI-FSN —

It’s not often a lab loses accreditation. Anyone know what the findings were that caused this?

Connecticut’s embattled top forensics lab has lost its accreditation but state officials vow to press for its recertification at the earliest possible date. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board declined to extend the Division

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Man Shoots Self In Penis with Girlfriend’s Pink Gun

Forensics Guy — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:00:17 +0000

FGI-FSN —

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of some guy shooting himself in his penis.

I had a case with some rather disturbing photos I had to review.

What makes this case especially sad was the fact it was with a pink gun. No bragging rights to his buddies here.

Please guys, carry in a

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Houston PD Crime Lab Supervisor Testifies Breath Tests Not Reliable

Forensics Guy — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:58:06 +0000

FGI-FSN —

If multiple police scientists and a supervisor (now working to oversee breath testers) don’t believe breath results are reliable, why is the prosecution even moving forward with cases?

A former HPD crime lab supervisor testified today that she and two other scientists quit because they could not trust the integrity of results from several

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Las Vegas Crime Lab Analyst Makes Repeated Mistakes with DNA Evidence

Forensics Guy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:03:29 +0000

FGI-FSN —

What’s amazing about this article isn’t the fact that errors were made. Humans make mistakes. It’s the people who should have caught the errors who didn’t:

1) The analyst 2) The lab during either technical or administrative review of the casework 3) The defense team 4) The independent expert hired by the defense team to

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No Forensic Science Exemption to US Constitution

Forensics Guy — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:00:33 +0000

FGI-FSN —

In a 5–4 non-partisan ruling, the United States Supreme Court further clarified the defendant’s right to confront their accuser in criminal cases.

Where Melendez-Diaz ruled the prosecution could not simply submit a crime laboratory report as evidence, June 23, 2011’s ruling in Bullcoming v. New Mexico further explains the courts decision to uphold the

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Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to Close Three Labs

Forensics Guy — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:00:02 +0000

FGI-FSN —

It’s a pity that budget problems are forcing three of Alabama’s State crime labs to close. A few years ago I had the opportunity to help setup and later train the users at the McClellan and Dothan labs in a new forensic software application they were implementing statewide.

McClellan had a great system

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Military Court Tells Jury to Disregard Forensic Evidence

Forensics Guy — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:00:41 +0000

FGI-FSN —

The issue in this case isn’t that the analyst “failed to identify a fingerprint”. The issue is that the government failed to disclose this information which goes to show the reliability of the analyst in the case.

To be clear, failure to identify a print isn’t the same thing as making a false-positive match,

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