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Articles by Jo Ellen Nott

Maryland Reforms Offer Second Chances on Expungement and Parole

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 ...

Third-Hand Meth Contamination in Cars Poses Hidden Danger to Buyers and Renters

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 ...

Connecticut Compensates Exonerated Prisoners, Reforms Policing

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. ...

Questionable Retail Theft Panic Fuels More Mass Surveillance and Police Militarization

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 ...

Faster Justice: Rapid DNA Set to Expand Law Enforcement Reach

by Jo Ellen Nott

In a significant development for forensic science, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) approved updates to the Quality Assurance Standards (“QAS”) for Forensic Laboratories in January, paving the way for DNA profiles generated through Rapid DNA analysis to be searched in the national Combined DNA Index ...

Shakedown in New Mexico: Decades-Long Police Corruption Scandal Rocks Albuquerque’s DWI Unit

by Jo Ellen Nott

Albuquerque is grappling with a sprawling police corruption scandal that spans decades, involving bribery, extortion, and racketeering within the city’s DWI enforcement unit. The scandal, which came to light after a federal investigation, has led to multiple guilty pleas, the dismissal of hundreds of cases, and ...

Filming ICE Agents at Work: Know Your Rights

by Jo Ellen Nott

Across the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) activity is intensifying, including highly visible raids. Amid this escalation, it is important to remember that the public has a First Amendment right to film ICE agents while they perform their official duties in public spaces.

This ...

Virtual Injustice: How Remote Hearings Harm Incarcerated Defendants

by Jo Ellen Nott

Vermont’s increased reliance on remote court hearings, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure safety, has created significant challenges for incarcerated individuals, their attorneys, and the broader justice system. While remote proceedings have become the norm nationwide, their expansion to substantive hearings in Vermont has ...

Study Highlights Limitations in Forensic DNA Analysis Involving Lower Genetic Diversity Groups

by Jo Ellen Not

A University of Oregon study, “Decreased accuracy of forensic DNA mixture analysis for groups with lower genetic diversity” published in Volume 27, Issue 11, 111067 of iScience in November 2024 by researchers at the University of Oregon, discusses the significant limitations in forensic DNA analysis when ...

New AI Tool Harnesses Microbiomes for Forensic and Medical Breakthroughs

by Jo Ellen Nott

A research team at Sweden’s Lund University unveiled an AI-driven system in a paper first released on October 7, 2024, titled “Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS) Detects Fine-Scale Geography.” mGPS uses microorganisms to trace the geographical origins of people or objects.

Acting as a global positioning ...

 

 

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