On December 6, 2011, the Unites States Supreme Court heard argument in the case of Williams v. Illinois. The transcripts of the oral argument can is available on the Supreme Court of the United States website. Some information so you can understand the facts and the subsequent analysis that I offer: Summary of the Facts: […]
A collosial waste of taxpayer money all in the name of forensics
I have seen a lot of government waste all in the name of forensic science, but this one is utterly foolish. It needs nothing but it’s straight fact reporting… Flashy $330,000 DNA Bus Bought by County Designed by the company that built Dr. Oz’s jumbo bus, the vehicle will collect DNA samples and serve as […]
New CODIS guidelines from the FBI draws criticism
We have blogged before on some issues in DNA and in terms of CODIS and the various DNA databases: DNA Contamination that is amazing! Another example of flat out bad forensic science: Bad DNA results Bayesian Based Metrology and DNA What constitutes a “match” in forensic science? Physical evidence is often the most important evidence Now […]
I am my brother’s keeper: Familial DNA testing
I like to use transferable concepts to provoke thought. Rather than just talk about familial DNA testing in a boring way, let’s have some fun. Let’s go back to Star Trek. If you haven’t seen Star Trek before at least once, then maybe you should just give up in life, right? Do you remember this […]
The Forensic Science of the identification of Osama bin Laden
The Forensic Science of the identification of Osama bin Laden President Barack Obama announced yesterday (5/1/2011) that Osama bin Laden had been killed. As historic and newsworthy as that event is, this post isn’t about that event. Instead, this post is about the technology and the science mostly likely used that lead to the confident […]
A Call to Banish Non-validated Science in the Courtroom: A plea for scientific truth
It is an exciting time that we all in live. I am confident that when historians of the law look back at this time, they will point to this era as a corrective time where the exaggerations of some of the disciplines in forensic science. We are shifting from the “wild wild west” mentality of […]
The Innocence Project weighs in on forensic science mishaps and fraudulent science
As of December 14, 2010, there have been 261 exonerees according to The Innocence Project. 74 of the 261 cases are connected to defective or fraudulent forensic science. That is over 28%. A new movie starring Hillary Swank in part exposes this phenomenon in Conviction. It chronicles the false conviction of Kenny Waters. From wikipedia: […]
DNA Contamination that is amazing!
This is the Phantom of Heilbronn. The Phantom of Heilbronn was thought of as the most prolific murderer who was allegedly responsible for a whole rash of crimes from murder to burglary. Quite a busy person. So, busy that the Phantom was all across Europe doing what the Phantom does, I suppose, which is getting […]
Another example of flat out bad forensic science: Bad DNA results
In prior posts we discussed our forensic science wall of shame. Urine testing ain’t worth piss Government run Crime Labs are never wrong Now, we have to add this one to the ranks… Errors lead to firing of OSBI DNA analyst This article is is so remarkable that it earns its own post. Why? While […]
Bayesian Based Metrology and DNA
A great friend and colleague of mine from Maryland recently had a trial involving mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that was used to “not exclude” his client as the donor of a particular hair found within the duct tape used to fashion a home-made silencer used to kill a lady. Leaving the use of mtDNA alone for […]
What constitutes a “match” in forensic science?
The concept of a match at first look blush seems rather elemental. However, if we really were to think of it, the concept is indeed fungible. In forensic science, there is no universally held definition across all disciplines or even within a disciple as to what constitutes sufficient similarity to evoke that coveted and magic […]
The McShane Firm | DUI Lawyers
Pennsylvania DUI Blog