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San Francisco Forensic Analyst’s Arrest on Drug Charges Exposes Flawed Lab
by Derek Gilna
Hundreds of innocent people may have gone to jail based on potentially flawed or falsified test results by San Francisco Office of Chief Medical Examiner (“OCME”) forensic analyst Justin Volk.
This alleged misconduct was uncovered after the August 31, 2020, arrest of Volk for possession of methamphetamine ...
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More from this issue:
- Qualified Immunity - A Legal, Practical, and Moral Failure, by Jay Schweikert
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Suit Challenging Idaho’s Sex Offender Registration Law, by Douglas Ankney
- Column: Raising Successful Federal Habeas Corpus Claims, by Dale Chappell
- Tenth Circuit Vacates Enhancement for Prior Crime of Violence Because it Wasn’t Independently Eligible to Receive Criminal History Points, by Anthony Accurso
- California Court of Appeal: Trial Court Abused Discretion by Denying Romero Motion and Life Sentence for Attempted Robbery Is Cruel and Unusual Under State Constitution, by Douglas Ankney
- Third Circuit Announces Prohibition Against Second Resentencing Under First Step Act Can Be Waived by Government, by Matthew Clarke
- California Court of Appeal: Counsel Ineffective for Failure to Investigate Mental Health History, by Douglas Ankney
- Seventh Circuit Joins Other Circuits Holding Any Crack Cocaine Offense Under § 841 Qualifies for First Step Act Relief, by Dale Chappell
- Michigan Supreme Court: Police Must Limit Search of Cellphone Data to Uncovering Evidence of the Criminal Activity Alleged in Warrant, by Douglas Ankney
- Fifth Circuit: No Qualified Immunity When Police Fatally Beat Unresisting Man Suffering Mental Health Crisis, by Matthew Clarke
- North Carolina Supreme Court: Superior Court Abused Discretion by Flatly Prohibiting Questions on Racial Bias During Voir Dire, by Douglas Ankney
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Witness Testifying Remotely Via Two-Way Video Without Sufficient Reason Violates Confrontation Clause, by Douglas Ankney
- Fifth Circuit: District Court Cannot Delegate to Probation Officer Authority to Impose Inpatient Treatment, by Douglas Ankney
- Kansas Supreme Court: Wrong Standard Used in Review of Plea Withdrawal Motion Requires Remand, by David Reutter
- Indiana Supreme Court: Speedy Trial Right Violated After 6.5 Years Without Retrial, by Anthony Accurso
- Raid on Data Scientist’s Home Underscores Outdated Technology Laws and Unjustifiable Police Use of Force, by Anthony Accurso
- Nevada Supreme Court: Defendant Has Right to Withdraw Plea Where He Wasn’t Informed of Range of Possible Punishments, by Douglas Ankney
- Voters Speak: Dump Tough-On-Crime Prosecutors, Boost Police Oversight, by Dale Chappell
- Texas Supreme Court Announces Factual-Sufficiency Standard of Review in SVP Determinations, by Douglas Ankney
- Ohio Supreme Court: ‘Avoid Impregnating a Woman’ as Probation Condition for Failing to Pay Child Support Unreasonable, by Dale Chappell
- California Court of Appeal: SB 136 Makes Plea Agreement Containing Prior Prison Enhancement Unenforceable, by Douglas Ankney
- ACLU Spotlights FBI’s Encryption-Breaking Tool in Freedom of Information Suit, by Derek Gilna
- North Carolina Supreme Court: Testimony That Improperly Bolstered Victim’s Credibility Was Plain Error, by Douglas Ankney
- Second Circuit Clarifies What Constitutes ‘Possession of a Dangerous Weapon’ and ‘Physical Restraint’ Under the Guidelines, by Dale Chappell
- Ohio Supreme Court: Jury Must Find Use of Force, Not Sentencing Court, for Mandatory Minimum Sentences, by Anthony Accurso
- San Francisco Forensic Analyst’s Arrest on Drug Charges Exposes Flawed Lab, by Derek Gilna
- Montana Supreme Court: Five-Year Delay Violates Speedy Trial and Is Presumptively Prejudicial, by Douglas Ankney
- SCOTUS: RFRA’s ‘Appropriate Damages’ Includes Monetary Awards, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit Joins Sister Circuits Holding Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy not Crime of Violence for 924(c), by Dale Chappell
- Fatal Shootings by Police Rarely Prosecuted, by Jayson Hawkins
- Misinformation and the Carceral State, by Jayson Hawkins
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Blood Alcohol Test Results From Blood Drawn Under Court Order but Without Consent Is Inadmissible, by Matthew Clarke
- A 22-Year-Long Path to Justice, by Jayson Hawkins
- Police Departments Buying Teslas, by Anthony Accurso
- Mens Rea: Criminal Liability Should Equal Criminal Intent, by Casey Bastian
- First Circuit: Rehaif Error Rendered Guilty Plea Invalid, by Dale Chappell
- Walter Forbes of Michigan Exonerated After 37 Years in Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- The Need for Legislation Governing Police Use of Robots, by Douglas Ankney
- News in Brief
More from Derek Gilna:
- Federal Judge in Louisiana Issues Sweeping Opinion Finding Numerous Eighth Amendment, ADA and RA Violations at Angola, April 1, 2022
- Human Rights Defense Center Prevails in Censorship Lawsuit Against Napa County Jail, California, Sept. 1, 2021
- California State Auditor’s Report Faults Counties for Waste and Poor Oversight of State Funds Used in “Public Safety Realignment”, Sept. 1, 2021
- The Fight Over Cellphones in Prisons Rages On, Sept. 1, 2021
- District Court Extends Armstrong Order to Five Additional California Prisons, Sept. 1, 2021
- HRDC Settles Censorship Lawsuit with Johnson County, Kansas Jail for $50,000 and Policy Changes, Aug. 1, 2021
- Virginia Prosecutors to Dismiss 400 Drug Convictions Tied to Disgraced Cop, July 15, 2021
- Discredited New York Police Detective’s False Testimony Causes the Dismissal of Close to 100 Drug Convictions, June 15, 2021
- D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences Firearms Examination Unit Under Fire, April 15, 2021
- Mississippi Joins Illinois and Few Other States Prioritizing Vaccination of State Prisoners to Slow Spread of COVID-19, April 1, 2021
More from these topics:
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt? Fingerprint Evidence’s Troubling Flaws, April 15, 2025. junk science, Wrongful Conviction, Fingerprint Evidence.
- A Guilty Voice: Is Voice Analysis Junk Science or Reliable Evidence?, March 15, 2025. junk science, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of.
- Study Confirms New York City’s ShotSpotter Deployment Was a Costly Misstep, March 15, 2025. junk science, Use of a Gun.
- Faster Justice: Rapid DNA Set to Expand Law Enforcement Reach, March 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Crime Labs, Forensic Sciences.
- Bite Marks and Broken Justice: A Louisiana Man’s Life and Death Struggle Against Junk Science, March 15, 2025. junk science, Wrongful Conviction.
- Mayhem, Murder and Staff Misconduct at Brooklyn BOP Lockup, March 1, 2025. Cell Searches, Drug Testing, Prison/Jail Murders, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Cell Phone Access, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet.
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Habeas Relief in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case, Feb. 1, 2025. junk science, Habeas Corpus, Forensic Sciences, Child Abuse/Abusers, Evidence - Admissibility.
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation Admits Over 1,000 Cases Affected by DNA Test Misconduct, Feb. 1, 2025. Judicial Misconduct, DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Forensic Sciences.
- NIJ Partners With Doctor to Develop Better Screening Method to Detect and Identify Drugs Postmortem, Jan. 15, 2025. Drug Testing, Forensic Sciences.
- Seeking Justice for Two: The DNA Scandal That Shook a Community, Jan. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Wrongful Conviction, DNA Evidence/Testing.
