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Probabilistic Genotyping on Trial: Can We Trust the Secret Algorithms Deciding Guilt? by Michael Thompson DNA evidence has long been hailed as the gold standard of forensic science—unassailable, precise, and definitive. But what happens when that gold standard is processed through proprietary algorithms that operate in secrecy, shielded from scrutiny …
Shelby County DA Oversees Retesting After Forensic Analyst’s Dismissal for ‘Unethical Conduct’ by Sam Rutherford Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy is overseeing the retesting of forensic evidence in multiple sexual assault cases after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (“TBI”) terminated a forensic analyst at its Jackson laboratory for “unethical …
Article • March 15, 2025 • from CLN April, 2025
Faster Justice: Rapid DNA Set to Expand Law Enforcement Reach by Jo Ellen Nott 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 …
Publication • December 1, 2023
Filed under: Crime Labs
Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2020-Dec. 2023 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics December 2023, NCJ 306473 Connor Brooks, BJS Statistician N ationwide, 326 publicly funded forensic crime laboratories and multilab systems received more than 3.3 million requests for service in 2020 (figure 1). …
Article • January 15, 2023 • from CLN February, 2023
NYC: The First DNA Gun Crimes Unit in America by Harold Hempstead by Harold Hempstead In the beginning of July 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the City’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham announced at a press conference that NYC is opening the nation’s very first DNA …
Article • September 15, 2022 • from CLN October, 2022
Filed under: Crime Labs, junk science
Understanding Environmental Effects on Blowflies Permits Fine-Tuning of Evidence Revealed From Fly Colonization of Decomposing Bodies by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney Forensic investigators have long used the well-known stages of blowfly development found on bodies post mortem to determine the amount of time that has elapsed since death. However, …
Article • May 15, 2022 • from CLN June, 2022
Filed under: Crime Labs
Costs of Untested Rape Kits by Jayson Hawkins by Jayson Hawkins Few crimes are as traumatic as a violent sexual assault. When the assailants are unknown and at large, victims often remain in a constant state of anxiety and apprehension, unsure when or if they may be attacked again. DNA …
Article • December 15, 2021 • from CLN January, 2022
Filed under: Crime Labs, junk science
Microbiome: The Latest in Cutting Edge Forensics by Michael Fortino, Ph.D by Michael Fortino One week after the attacks of September 11, 2001, letters containing anthrax were mailed to several news outlets, and to the offices of two U.S. Senators, forcing the FBI to seek new and innovative methods to …
Article • October 15, 2021 • from CLN November, 2021
DNA Standards Often Make the Difference Between Life and Death by Michael Fortino, Ph.D by Michael Fortino, Ph.D. DNA analysis standards can make the difference between misleading results and the truth behind a crime, so much so, that this highly sensitive analysis is often the deciding factor in ruling life …
Article • February 15, 2021 • from CLN March, 2021
San Francisco Forensic Analyst’s Arrest on Drug Charges Exposes Flawed Lab by Derek Gilna 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 …
Article • June 15, 2020 • from CLN July, 2020
Justice Office Awards $145 Million in Forensic Science Grants by Anthony Accurso by Anthony Accurso The Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice recently announced grants of more than $145 million being awarded through various programs it helps to fund. These grants will cover initiatives centered on forensic …
Article • February 19, 2020 • from CLN March, 2020
Tenth Annual NRC Report Magnifies Limits of Forensic Evidence by Bill Barton by Bill Barton Steven Mark Chaney was convicted of a 1987 murder based partially on the testimony of forensic scientists, which linked him to the crime by a bite mark found on the victim’s skin. The court heard …
Article • August 21, 2019 • from CLN September, 2019
Filed under: Crime Labs
Chicago Fingerprint Unit Flawed, Under Scrutiny by Bill Barton by Bill Barton In 2016, Cook County prosecutors relied on a fingerprint lifted from a laptop as pivotal evidence against a juvenile charged with robbery. According to Chicago Reporter coverage of the case, Judge Stuart Katz “ripped into the competence of …
Article • July 30, 2019
Scientific Experts Urge Forensic Experts to Be More Objective by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell Scientific experts have long relied on objectivity to reach conclusions—the ability to prove repeatedly the outcome of an analysis no matter who’s doing the analysis. Forensics experts, on the other hand, have long relied on …
Article • July 17, 2019 • from CLN August, 2019
$1 Million Settlement for NYC Crime Lab Tech Who Blew Whistle on Use of Untested DNA Tests for Decades by Edward Lyon by Ed Lyon  Television crime dramas like Bones and CSI that depict sterile, efficient crime labs seem to be little more than good art imitating bad life as …
Article • July 7, 2019
Groups Challenge Face Recognition Algorithm in Florida Case by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss The ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Georgetown Center on Privacy and Technology, and the Innocence Project have teamed up to battle the Florida court system over the constitutional right to confront a defendant’s accuser when …
Article • June 22, 2019
Filed under: Crime Labs
Caught by the Hair: New Forensic Tool Could Differentiate People by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney A new study published by a team from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (“LLNL”) in California concludes their method of proteomics sequencing of short, single strands of hair will revolutionize the forensic criminalistic science …
Article • May 15, 2019 • from CLN June, 2019
Suspected Mishandling of DNA Tests Puts Cases on Hold in Fort Worth, Texas by Michael Berk by Michael Berk The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office has put 117 criminal cases on hold in response to suspected misconduct involving DNA testing by a Fort Worth forensic scientist. On February 27, 2019, …
Article • April 12, 2019 • from CLN May, 2019
Filed under: Crime Labs
Expert Report Urges Changes to Forensic Analysis in Courtrooms by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell Instead of subjective personal experiences, a new report by experts urges prosecutors and forensic experts to rely more on hard data and statistics to back evidence in a criminal case. A defendant’s life might rely …
Article • April 12, 2019 • from CLN May, 2019
Misconduct in the Forensic Science Community Reveals Urgent Need for Greater Oversight by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss The U.S. has recently experienced a spate of convictions being overturned because of forensic science misconduct, according to Jessica S. Henry, associate professor, Department of Justice Studies, Montclair State University. It was …
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