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In The News

2018-10-07 | After Uniqueness: The Evolution of Forensic-Science Opinions
Big changes are occurring in forensic science, particularly among experts who compare the patterns found in finger-prints, footwear impressions, tool-marks, handwriting, and the like. Forensic examiners are reaching conclusions in new ways and changing the language they use in reports and testimony. This article explains these changes and the challenges they pose for lawyers and judges.

2018-10-05 | Freed After 18 Years, Man at Last Declared Innocent in Woman's Grisly Stabbing
Nolley was released from prison in May 2016 after the Tarrant County district attorney's office said he had been wrongfully convicted. And in May, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Nolley's 1998 murder conviction.

2018-10-03 | Can We Trust Digital Forensic Evidence?
New research at the University of York examining digital forensic laboratories in England and Wales has shown that evidence of the accuracy of digital forensic methods may be missing from the regulatory framework. International standards on digital forensic methods were initially created for calibration and testing laboratories, which use proven scientific techniques to test metals, chemical compounds and other industrial and manufacturing products. These are based on tried and tested methods and published industry standards.

2018-10-03 | Sweaty shoe used to convict man in Norton Shores robbery is fair game, appeals court says
Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat said he was happy with what he called a landmark ruling. “This is a big deal and it is a landmark decision as it relates to this DNA testing, so we are very pleased,’’ Maat said. When an initial sample was tested by Michigan State Police, it indicated the presence of DNA from four people. But when new technology was applied, it determined the odds of the DNA coming from someone other than Muhammad was one in 100 billion, Maat said.

2018-10-01 | Report: 1000s of DNA Profiles Missing From Databases
The total number of missing DNA profiles is unknown, but the investigation found several widespread collection gaps, the Eagle-Gazette reported. In Cuyahoga County, it was discovered last year that more than 15,000 people were missing from the state DNA database from August 2008 to December 2016.

2018-09-26 | NIST Details Plans for Reviewing the Scientific Foundations of Forensic Methods
NIST foundation reviews will evaluate the current state of a discipline's scientific foundations, which the report defines as, "the trusted and established knowledge that supports and underpins," its methods. These reviews will increase trust in forensic methods that have a strong scientific foundation. In cases where the foundation would benefit from further strengthening, the reviews might provide strategic direction for future research.

2018-09-25 | Chicago Murder Prosecution Falters When Expert Fails to Stay Within His Lane
The situation that arose during the testimony of Mark Messick illustrates that dangers that lurk when an expert witness testifies beyond his/her area of expertise. In an earlier article posted to this website entitled “Stay Within Your Lane!: The Importance of Knowing Your Boundaries as an Expert Witness”, I set out the pitfalls of an expert witness exceeding stated qualifications in testimony. I recommend reading that article to put the Chicago case in context.

2018-09-20 | Cotton vs. Nylon DNA Swabs: Efficiency Depends on Experience
“In summary, cotton swabs can be as efficient at recovering trace DNA as nylon-flocked swabs, but the rate of recovery appears to depend on practitioner experience and/or the substrate type,” they write. “This, along with the variable recovery efficiency of mini-tapes, is being investigated further.” The nylon-flocked swabs (COPAN FLOQSwabs) yielded efficiency of roughly 85 percent from the control seeded directly with DNA solution, while the cotton swabs (SceneSafe) yielded about 55 percent, they write. However, the disparity disappeared with application on non-porous surfaces. Roughly 55 percent of the DNA was recovered from plastic knife handles. Cotton showed several better efficiency rates on plastic piping, firearm metal, and glass, they report. But this was still just a fraction of the DNA that had been planted there (all less than 20 percent), they add.

2018-09-20 | Framed By Your Own Cells: How DNA Evidence Imprisons The Innocent
Modern technologies can now detect and analyze DNA from samples comprised of only 16 cells. But due to the touch-transfer properties of DNA, determining how those cells reached the surface on which they were found is impossible. Tiny amounts of touch-transferred DNA have placed people at locations they had never visited and implicated people for crimes they did not commit.

2018-09-19 | Suspect-centric Bias in DNA Mixture Interpretation
Bias abounds in criminal justice. Predictive policing can bake bias into software, reflecting and reinforcing prior beliefs. Bail-risk computer programs may entrench pre-trial detention disparity. Human judgment pervades the process. Prosecutor and defender alike passionately argue their client’s case, drawing opposite conclusions from identical facts. Science is above the fray. Objective data suggest forensic match between crime scene and suspect. Statistical data analysis yields incontrovertible numbers for the strength of match. Cold DNA facts are presented as confirmed theories in court.