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: […]
How ISO 17025 can help minimize the particular problem of fraudulent credentials of forensic scientists
In a series of posts, I am going to introduce the reader to the existence of ISO 17025 and its importance. I am going to introduce it in bite-sized bits for easy digestion. Just like all matters of learning, knowledge is incremental over time and builds upon previous exposure. So far we have answered the […]
Today’s accepted science is subject to review and is evolutionary
Science is a wonderful thing. It is perhaps the greatest organized device known for discovering the truth. However, it is not infallible. Today’s scientific axiom is tomorrow’s discredited idea. That is why I suggest that we as lawyers dealing with forensic science related aspects are living in a great time of fundamental change. It is […]
Is forensic science relevant to the police investigator?
An article caught my attention (thanks to our friend Christine Funk) so I wanted to share it with you as it highlights the difference between how far we think we have come versus where we are in reality The case against evidence From fingerprints to high-tech CSI, forensic science plays a much smaller role than […]
The case for raw data: “Integration” in Gas Chromatography: How to make an innocent person guilty in a DUI case by manipulating the software
The case for raw data: “Integration” in Gas Chromatography: How to make an innocent person guilty in a DUI case by manipulating the software. The video below is part of the lecture that I gave at the hands-on laboratory training course held by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Axion Analytical Labs in Chicago, IL […]
Lecture on Analytical Chemistry in BAC testing Part 13
The above is Part Thirteen from a lecture given by Attorney Justin J. McShane before the North Carolina Advocates for Justice “Advanced DWI Seminar”. This seminar happened on February 26, 2010. It was organized and hosted by John K. Fanney, Esquire of Fanney & Jackson, P.C. The following is a transcript of this video: In […]
Excercise of Discretion: Sampling versus Sample Selection
One of the most shocking aspects of forensic science to me as I am not a scientist is the amount of discretion and choice that is exercised by the forensic analyst. One of these areas is the difference between sampling and sample selection. A good analogy to use is to suppose that you are tasked […]
Lecture on Analytical Chemistry in BAC testing Part 12
The above is Part Twelve from a lecture given by Attorney Justin J. McShane before the North Carolina Advocates for Justice “Advanced DWI Seminar”. This seminar happened on February 26, 2010. It was organized and hosted by John K. Fanney, Esquire of Fanney & Jackson, P.C. The following is a transcript of this video: You […]
Honorificabilitudinitatibus or a Faux Scientist
Honorificabilitudinitatibus literally means “loaded with honors”. Its modern etymology and usage comes from William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost by Costard in Act V, Scene I. In forensic science as practiced in the United States, there are few legitimate Honorificabilitudinitatibus and many faux scientists. One of the scams that will help you tell between the few […]
Fire Whisperers-the Story of Bad Arson Investigation
You have heard of the myth of the Horse Whisper, right? Heck Hollywood even made a movie about it. Robert Redford was a horse trainer who could whisper and talk with the horses. They would listen and communicate with him. Pretty fantastic stuff! There has also been the “Dog Whisperer” which is a TV series […]
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