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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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
West Virginia University Forensic Scientists Provide a Benchmark for Analyzing Duct Tape Fracture Edges by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott A common household item is being analyzed by forensic scientists as the newest tool in crime scene investigations. Researchers at West Virginia University are establishing the standard for …
Indiana Supreme Court Suppresses All Evidence Related to Polygraph Exam for Examiner’s Failure to Disclose Unilater-ally Changing Exam Results From ‘Admissible’ to ‘Inadmissible’ Due to Defendant’s Mental State by Anthony Accurso by Anthony W. Accurso The Supreme Court of Indiana upheld evidentiary suppression of a defendant’s polygraph results and inculpatory …
Fourth Circuit Denies Defendant Faced ‘Classic Penalty Situation’ During Polygraph Questioning While on Supervised Release by Anthony Accurso by Anthony W. Accurso The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the denial of a defendant’s suppression motion where he failed to invoke his Fifth Amendment protections while on …
DOJ-Office of Inspector General -Notification of Concerns Identified in the DEA Use of Polygraph Exams, Aug. 2023 D E PA R T M E N T O F J U S T I C E | O F F I C E O F T H E I N S …
Article • May 14, 2023
The Persistence of Polygraph Tests: A Misguided Reliance on Junk Science by The use of polygraph tests, despite their well-documented flaws and dubious scientific validity, continues to persist in various sectors of society. These so-called lie detectors have long been criticized as unreliable and prone to producing false results, yet …