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A Critical Safeguard for the Accused: NIST’s New DNA Standard Challenges the Reliability of “Messy” Crime Scene Evidence by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott In a move to strengthen the accountability and scientific rigor of forensic evidence, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) released Reference Material …
The Unintentional Informant: Household Pets as Vectors of Human DNA by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott When forensic investigators arrive at a crime scene, they search for DNA on surfaces, clothing, and objects. Increasingly, research suggests they may also need to consider the household pet. Studies led by …
Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies Framework for Evaluating Extraordinary Motions for New Trial Based on Scientific Developments, Holding Trial Court Applied Incorrect Legal Standard in Denying “Shaken Baby Syndrome” Challenge by David Kim by David Kim The Supreme Court of Georgia clarified that the diligence requirement for extraordinary motions for new …
Maine Supreme Judicial Court Announces Trial Courts Must Rigorously Scrutinize Reliability of Expert Testimony in Unrecognized Forensic Fields, Holding Trial Court Erred in Admitting Forensic Podiatry Footprint-Comparison Testimony Without a Demonstrated by Douglas Ankney by Doug Ankney In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine held that the …
When Words Mislead: Replacing “Touch” and “Trace DNA” with “Transfer DNA” by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott The forensic community is experiencing a critical shift in how biological evidence is described in the courtroom. For decades, terms like “Touch DNA,” “Trace DNA,” and “Wearer DNA” have been staples …
How AI Integration Used by Law Enforcement Fails the Public by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott A recent incident in Utah highlights a growing and problematic trend in law enforcement: the adoption of artificial intelligence to automate essential administrative duties. In Heber City, the police department recently faced …
Digital Parallel Construction: Detecting and Challenging Hidden AI by Richard Resch by Richard Resch In the companion to this Column, “When AI Invents the Pixels,” published in the January 2026 issue of CLN, we explored the dangers of prosecutors introducing AI-­enhanced video as substantive evidence at trial. We discussed how …
Tiny Plants, Big Consequences: Moss Evidence in Courtrooms by David Kim by David Kim When a 4-­month-­old girl known to the public only as “Baby Kate” vanished from a small Michigan town in 2011, detectives eventually found themselves staring not at a crime-­scene photograph or a cell-­tower map, but at …
Aphantasia: Why Truthful Witnesses Can Sound Like Liars by Richard Resch by Richard Resch "Close your eyes. Picture it. Now tell me exactly what you saw.” Across America, police treat this as a credibility test. Every day, truthful people fail it. That is the detective in the interview room. In …
New Jersey Supreme Court Announces “Shaking Without Impact” Expert Testimony Inadmissible, Holding Shaken Baby Syndrome Diagnosis Lacks Required General Acceptance Within Biomechanical Engineering Community Under Frye by David Kim by David Kim he Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the exclusion of expert testimony regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma …
Police AI and “Sycophancy”: New Evidence Tools May Tell Cops Exactly What They Want to Hear by Michael Thompson by Michael Dean Thompson Every day new digital tools generate massive new piles of data for law enforcement to winnow for grains of truth. With each new tool comes a new …
When AI Invents the Pixels: Challenging AI-Enhanced Video Evidence in Criminal Cases by Richard Resch by Richard Resch When prosecutors offer “enhanced” surveillance footage or body-camera video, defense counsel must understand what enhancement actually means. Traditional forensic methods such as adjusting brightness, applying contrast filters, or using established interpolation algorithms …
Generative Suspicion: What Defense Lawyers Must Know About AI-Generated Police Reports by Richard Resch by Richard Resch Police departments nationwide are racing to adopt artificial intelligence that transcribes body-camera footage, translates witness statements, and drafts investigative narratives. But these tools introduce profound risks to factual accuracy and due process that …
New Infrared Light Research on Blow Fly Larvae Reveals Clues to Time of by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott Texas A&M AgriLife Research has developed a new forensic tool that could revolutionize how investigators estimate time of death. Researchers have devised a technique using infrared light and machine …
News in Brief by Alabama: Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith faces six misdemeanor counts after a grand jury indicted him on May 30, 2025, for knowingly employing uncertified personnel. WBRC in Birmingham reported that Smith’s second-in-command, Chief Deputy Ralph Williams, was also indicted on one count of providing false or …
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 …
Los Angeles Criminal Legal System Undermined by Months of Faulty DNA Testing by Jo Ellen Nott 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 …
‘Sexome’ Bacteria Offers New Path to Justice in Sexual Assault Cases Where DNA Is Not Present by Jo Ellen Nott 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 …
Article • March 15, 2025 • from CLN April, 2025
A Guilty Voice: Is Voice Analysis Junk Science or Reliable Evidence? by Clarence Walker Jr. by Clarence Walker Jr. Law enforcement officials believe our vocal cords betray us with every syllable we speak. Welcome to a world of technology capable of listening to a human voice and then determining whether …
Massachusetts State Police Facing Possible Class Action Lawsuit for Illegal Recordings by The Massachusetts State Police (“MSP”) is the defendant in a potential class action lawsuit alleging that troopers secretly recorded nearly 200 individuals during criminal investigations, many of them drug cases. These recordings made by a phone app called …
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