USADA presents at the ACS National Meeting about Doping in Sports On March 23, 2015, Attorneys Justin J. McShane of The McShane Firm, LLC and Josh D. Lee of Ward, Lee and Coats moderated a symposium at the national American Chemical Society meeting in Denver, Colorado. The symposium concerned the chemistry and the law […]
Even the government acknowledges the difficulty of proving impairment in a DUID case
Even the government continues to acknowledge the difficulty of proving impairment in a DUID case. Just a day ago…. NHTSA’s Understanding the Limitations of Drug Test Information, Reporting, and Testing Practices in Fatal Crashes by Amy Berning & Dereece D. Smither was released. This recent publication reads as follows: In addition, while the impairing effects […]
The myth of “therapuetic range,” “cookie cutter pharmacology,” and why DUID Impairment cases remind me of Forrest Gump
There is a myth among prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges that is propagated time and again all over courtrooms in the US that involves the idea of “therapeutic ranges” when it comes to DUID cases and prescribed drugs. The notion is that there is a one-size fits all chart that we can all refer to […]
The American Chemical Society-Chemistry and the Law Division Announces The ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS
***For immediate publication and sharing*** The American Chemical Society-Chemistry and the Law Division Announces The ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS http://www.forensicchromatography.com/lawyer-scientist/ With more than 161,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s […]
Another week, another laboratory scandal: Santa Clara County Crime Lab (and it’s accredited by ASCLD/LAB)
Another week, another laboratory scandal: Santa Clara County Crime Lab (and it’s accredited by ASCLD/LAB) [Hat tip to The Charles Smith Blog] I have written time and again about how forensic science as it is currently practiced in the United States needs massive improvement. The repeated Quality Assurance system failures would never be tolerated in […]
Superfluous Sensitivity
I was at the 247th American Chemical Society meeting in Dallas where this research was first presented. Analytical instruments are destined to become more sensitive, it is the march of progress. But is this a good thing? Just because we can detect something, is it relevant? Is examining toxicological samples at 1000 times more sensitivity […]
Why it is not legitimate to retrograde extrapolate a DUID result based upon one measurement
Why it is not legitimate to retrograde extrapolate a DUID result based upon one measurement In my lecture yesterday at the OACDL annual OVI conference, I had the task of presenting on “What you need to know about blood.” I had 33 minutes to do so. What can you teach people in 33 minutes on […]
Should Toxicologists Be Part of the “Prosecution Team”?
Should Toxicologists Be Part of the “Prosecution Team”? At this year’s AAFS meeting, Chuck Hayes of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police gave a thought provoking presentation about the DRE program in the Toxicology Section. I was there in person. It was entitled “Re-examining the ‘Three Legged Stool’ Approach to Deterring Drugged Driving.” […]
5 Potential changes in the DEC/DRE program are discussed
Potential changes in the DEC/DRE program are discussed I have blogged before on the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program (aka the Drug Recognition Expert Pr0gram): What is the relevant scientific community for the Drug Recognition Expert? A Pharmacologist and a DRE Score one for Science: The DRE program is found to be unreliable and […]
Closer to an 0.05 DUI standard–National Safety Council-Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division Report 2014
Closer to an 0.05 DUI standard–National Safety Council-Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division Report 2014 Here is an update here from the National Safety Council-Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division. As frequent readers of this blog know, the former National Safety Council (NSC) Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs (COAD) was upgraded by the National Safety Council […]
The American Chemical Society Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Course
Dear attorney friends and colleagues, What have you done to future-proof your DUI practice? The times are changing. Drug-related DUI enforcement is the way of the future. In a short time, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) cases will start to outnumber DUI ethanol cases. If your knowledge isn’t greater and your experience is […]
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