A group submitted an amicus brief to the North Carolina Supreme Court that argues for stronger examination of the reliable application of fingerprint and other expert evidence.  I authored the brief with remarkable assistance of a group of twenty-six leading… Continue Reading →

The American Association for the Advancement of Science released a letter and an article inviting the Department of Justice to build on its recent approval  of “Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports” to be used by its forensic examiners in  statements about analyses of forensic… Continue Reading →

The Nation conducted a special investigation into the investigation and trial of Jimmy Genrich, a man whose “fate hung on the [analysis of] toolmarks, the only physical evidence that connected him to” a series of fatal bombings in Colorado. The… Continue Reading →

A new registry of terms used in forensics and definitions – here – e.g. here are ten different definitions of “identification” : Identification  In computer forensics, a process involving the search for, recognition and documentation of potential digital evidenceDigital Evidence,… Continue Reading →

John Grisham wrote a powerful op-ed, here, today in the L.A Times, discussing causes of wrongful convictions, including flawed forensic evidence.  He notes, citing to data that I’ve collected, that “Of the 330 people exonerated by DNA tests between 1989… Continue Reading →

Experts in forensics, statistics and the law will convene for a conference at the University of Virginia School of Law on March 26 to mark the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc.,… Continue Reading →

A new piece by Chris Fabricant and I is now posted on ssrn here.  Below is the abstract: The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and subsequent revisions to Federal Rule of Evidence 702, was… Continue Reading →

Read Tim Requarth’s piece in Slate here about the gripping and important new book by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington.  Requarth quotes from the book: The primary antagonists in this story are Steven Hayne, the state’s former de facto medical… Continue Reading →

I’ve long thought it extremely important that testimony in court by forensic analysts be routinely read and reviewed by supervisors, to ensure accuracy, consistency, and professionalism.  The DOJ importantly just announced in a memo, here, a program to do just… Continue Reading →

On February 21, the DOJ released this document, setting out uniform language for latent print comparisons.  It sets out definitions for source identification, inconclusive and exclusion conclusions and sets out certain qualifications and limitations.  Below are excerpts. Source Identification ‘Source… Continue Reading →