A question posed by a child in a Curious Kids column in The Conversation, a nonprofit news website written by academics, led a biomedical engineer to a discovery that could aid forensic analysis at crime scenes involving water exposure.
Guy German, a biomedical engineer at Binghamton University in New York, ...
A groundbreaking adaptation of perovskite technology is poised to transform forensic analysis of gunshot residue (“GSR”), offering unprecedented speed and sensitivity. “Perovskite” refers to a class of materials with a specific crystal structure, named after the mineral calcium titanate, discovered by Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski. Traditional GSR analysis, which relies ...
The integrity of Los Angeles County’s justice system is under fire following the news that potentially defective DNA test kits were used for months in thousands of criminal cases.
Despite being notified in August 2024 that its kits were “prone to intermittently poor performance,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a suite of reform bills into law on April 22, 2025, marking a victory for incarcerated individuals, the formerly incarcerated, and advocates who have worked tirelessly for these changes for years.
The newly enacted legislation addresses critical issues surrounding criminal record ...
Illinois maintains a digital public shaming website called the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, which is mandated under the provisions of Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 154/85 (a) and (b). Supporters of the registry often claim that it enhances public safety, but not everybody agrees that it is ...
In a positive step advancing fair-chance policy for formerly incarcerated individuals, Virginia and Utah both signed policies into law in March 2025 that will help dismantle barriers faced by people with criminal records as they reenter the world of work.
The National Council of State Legislatures (“NCSL”) has determined that ...
Forensic science has traditionally relied on DNA evidence from sperm to identify suspects in sexual assault cases. However, when no sperm is present—such as when a perpetrator uses a condom—these methods are often ineffective.
New research published in iScience in February 2025 suggests a novel approach to using bacteria as ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
New research from Flinders University in South Australia, published in Forensic Chemistry, reveals a troubling public health risk: cars used for smoking, manufacturing, or transporting methamphetamine harbor significant drug residues, exposing future occupants to third-hand contamination. Testing on two used vehicles detected meth in 85 percent ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
Connecticut is confronting its history of wrongful convictions by compensating victims and reforming police procedures. The state has moved to award $37.6 million to eight wrongfully convicted men who collectively spent 151 years behind bars. The legislature’s Judiciary Committee ratified this compensation on February 14, 2025. ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
The shoplifting crisis dominating recent news may be exaggerated, but it has delivered major wins for police departments nationwide.
An investigation by The Appeal on March 27, 2025, reveals that fears over so-called “organized retail crime” have given law enforcement a pretext to purchase advanced surveillance ...
