SPECIAL EDITION NEWS FLASH: [Full Disclosure: I was one of the co-authors on the NACDL/NCDD amicus curiae briefs in the case of Bullcoming v. New Mexico. You can hear the audio of the oral argument here. I have waited several hours on purpose to post here in order to try to remain objective.] On September […]
Why evidentiary breath test machines are not regularly scientifically calibrated
One of my favorite movies is The Matrix. There is one scene that really jumps out to me. When Morpheous and Neo first meet. Morpheus shows Neo two pills: a blue and a red one. If Neo chooses the blue pill, he will wake up in his bed and forget about everything that happened to […]
Emerging technology: novel immunogenic method that could recover usable fingerprints from old evidence and difficult surfaces
In what could prove to be a landmark development in forensic science to both law enforcement and for the Innocence Project, we want to present to you the recent work of Dr Xanthe Spindler of University Technology Sydney. She has published that she has developed a new method of developing what heretofore would be undiscovered […]
The danger of “I know it when I see it” identification
I have written here before about the danger of the “I know it when I see it” approach and even in combination with screening tests such as the NIK Public Safety tests. Roadside screening tests such as the NIK Public Safety Reagent Based Tests Can Provide False Positives. Here is another unfortunate example of bad […]
Another crime laboratory in danger: US Army
Some folks seem to think that laboratory errors are confined to local laboratories and rouge out-of-control isolated agents who are either sloppy or up to no good. Intuitively, we know this is not true. Laboratories are run by humans. Humans make mistakes. Some humans deliberately lie to get what they want and to keep themselves […]
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 […]
Roadside screening tests such as the NIK Public Safety Reagent Based Tests Can Provide False Positives
Screening tests can lead to false arrests. The characteristics of a screening test are that they are easy to use with little to no training. They are used at a point of first contact meaning typically at roadside. In science, it seems as if there is the continual struggle between fast, cheap and good. It […]
The discretion exercised every day and with every test in forensic science
Unless you are a scientist, you probably do not realize that analysts in forensic science exercise a massive amount of discretion with the reporting of data. In a thought provoking article that appeared on www.SeparationsNow.com and in their “Lab Infomatics” section reads: It’s the analytical scientist’s perennial dilemma: where to strike the balance between convenience […]
How do we get today’s youth interested in Science and Math?
I have lamented on this blog about the sad state of affairs that underlies the science in forensic science. In my personal opinion, I think the root of the problem really is four-fold: Criminal Defense attorneys not learning science: I squarely point the finger (and even wag it) at most at my colleagues and predecessors. […]
Pharmacology For Lawyers Part 6: Elucidating Pharmacodynamic Effect from an Analytical Chemistry Result
This is post number six of our six part post on Pharmacology. Our posts will focus on the following topics: Part 1. Introduction Part 2. Pharmacokinetics Part 3. Pharmacodynamics Part 4. Bioavailabilty Part 5. “Free versus Bound Drug” Part 6. Elucidating Pharmacodynamic Effect from an Analytical Chemistry Result Drugged Driving I have posted in essence […]
Pharmacology For Lawyers Part 5: Free versus Bound Drug
This is post number five of our six part post on Pharmacology. Our posts will focus on the following topics: Part 1. Introduction Part 2. Pharmacokinetics Part 3. Pharmacodynamics Part 4. Bioavailabilty Part 5. “Free versus Bound Drug” Part 6. Elucidating Pharmacodynamic Effect from an Analytical Chemistry Result When blood sample is analyzed for purposes […]
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