
A Case Study of Two Arson Exonerations
Please join the Public Defender's Office for the Ninth Circuit…

DNA Database Hacked
Genealogy databases have become popular tools for law enforcement.…

A DNA Mix-Up Involving a Washing Machine Kept a Man in Jail for 3 Years
As washing machines go, the one that contributed to Roy Verret’s…

FREE Webinar: Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners: Roles, Responsibilities and the New National Pediatric SAFE Protocol – July 15 at 2 PM
Sexual violence involving a child is a particularly grievous…

Winter Park Police Start Using Body Cameras for 1st Time
The Winter Park Police Department, one of just a few agencies…

IBM Quits Facial Recognition, Joins Call for Police Reforms
IBM is getting out of the facial recognition business, saying…

In Florida, A Haze Builds Around Pot Law Enforcement as Technology Catches Up to Policy
Zachary Miller was napping in the car as he rode west through…

Trump Administration Targets Your ‘Warrant-Proof’ Encrypted Messages
The Trump administration has revived the debate over "end-to-end…

Morgan & Morgan Firm Joins State Attorney, Public Defender to Launch Community Bail Fund
Attorneys with the Orlando-based law firm Morgan &…

Yogurt Shop Controversy: Privacy vs. Science
Thirty years after the high-profile murders of four teenage…


Cognitive Biases in the Peer Review of Bullet and Cartridge Case Comparison Casework: A Field Study
Abstract
Objective
Forensic judgments and their peer review…

An ER Doctor Was Charged with Abusing His Baby. But 15 Medical Experts Say There’s No Proof.
Dr. John Cox knew as soon as he heard the baby’s cry that…

How the Police Use Facial Recognition, and Where It Falls Short
After a high-speed chase north of Orlando, Fla., sheriff’s…

Webinar: I Wasn’t There: Blocking the Admissibility and Limiting the Weight of Historical Cell Site “Expert” Testimony
Historical Cell Site Information cannot tell you where a client…

Facial Recognition Programs Lead to Arrest
A woman accused of stealing two grills from a Clermont hardware…

13 States Have Never Exonerated a Prisoner Based on DNA Evidence. Here’s Why.
Hundreds of state prisoners have successfully used DNA evidence…

Bad Medicine: Critics Say Powerful Pediatrician Too Quick to Diagnose Child Abuse, Traumatizing Families
Elina went into labor on a scorching day in July.
It would…

Why Are Cops Around the World Using This Outlandish Mind-Reading Tool?
The creator of Scientific Content Analysis, or SCAN, says the…

A DNA Firm That Caters to Police Just Bought a Genealogy Site
Just two years ago, GEDmatch was still an obscure genealogy website,…

Fingerprint Analysis is High-Stakes Work—But It Doesn’t Take Much to Qualify as an Expert
BRENDAN MAX AND two of his colleagues in the Cook County, Illinois,…

Police Can Keep Ring Camera Video Forever and Share with Whomever They’d Like, Amazon Tells Senator
Police officers who download videos captured by homeowners’…

Making Sense of Science XIII – April 2-4, 2020
Big Names. Big Science; a Big-Time CLE Experience!
Don't…

A Brutal Murder, a Wearable Witness, and an Unlikely Suspect
As Tony Aiello entered his nineties, he had false teeth, an artificial…

Eighteenth Annual PD Clothing Drive – December 7, 2019
Please remember the 18th Annual Public Defender Clothing Drive…

Lunch and Learn: Defending DUIs with Pre-Trial Motion Practice – Orlando, November 13 at 12:00 PM
Join us for a lunch and learn event featuring Florida Association…

PD9 and GCD Host Capital Defense Conference in Orlando: Telling the Client’s Story
The Georgia Capital Defenders had scheduled a great October CLE…

Burned by ‘Bad Science’ A Doctor’s Questionable Opinion Can Help Send Caregivers to Prison
A prosecutor projected a grisly photo onto a screen for the jury.…

Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Cocaine Before Test Showed Real Identity of White Substance
A homeless man arrested in Oklahoma City was sentenced to 15…

NACDL Winter Meeting: From Tech to Touch: Challenging and Suppressing Evidence Before Trial
Today’s criminal defense bar is facing ever-increasing challenges…

Event: From Lab to Market: A New Tool for Identifying Controlled Substances – Orlando, October 17
Methods for screening suspected controlled substances include…

FREE Webinar: Medical Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse: Why Can’t We Be More Like CSI?
A child abuse pediatrician will present an overview of the medical…

PD9 Hosts Its Annual Law Camp with the Boys and Girls Club
This summer, Robert Wesley, Public Defender of the Ninth Circuit,…

Behind the Rise of China’s Facial-Recognition Giants
Unfamiliar faces aren’t welcome at Beijing public housing projects.…

Lubricants and Glitter: Revolutionizing Sexual Assault Investigations – October 23 at 6 PM
Sexual assaults are an unfortunate reality in modern society.…

N.Y.P.D. Detectives Gave a Boy, 12, a Soda. He Landed in a DNA Database
New York City detectives questioning a boy facing a felony…

The Role of Scientific Forensic Evidence Questioned in Pending Texas Execution
Larry Swearingen is scheduled to be executed Wednesday by the…

There Will Be Blood, and Physics, Too: The Messy Science of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
David Camm lost 13 years of his life to eight drops of blood.
In…

Blood, Breath, and Tears 2019
BB&T will be two full days incorporating a mock jury trial!
All…

Cell Tower Evidence & The Public Defender
August 28, 2019, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, (60 minutes)
Webinar…

2019 DWI Means Defend With Ingenuity Seminar: Solving the Mystery of DUI Acquittals
NACDL & NCDD's 23rd Annual "DWI Means Defend With Ingenuity®" Seminar, "Solving…

We Tested Europe’s New Lie Detector for Travelers — And Immediately Triggered a False Positive
THEY CALL IT the Silent Talker. It is a virtual policeman designed…

Orlando Says It Won’t Continue Testing Amazon’s Controversial Face-Scanning Technology Rekognition
After more than a year of testing Amazon’s high-tech…

In an Apparent First, Genetic Genealogy Aids a Wrongful Conviction Case
It started as a way to trace family history. It evolved into…

Registration Open: “We the Defenders” Seattle
These conferences will feature nationally recognized faculty…

ICE, FBI Among Federal Agencies Searching Florida Driver’s Licenses for Facial Recognition, Records Show
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI are among…

Attorney: DNA That Solved Infamous ‘Rideshare Rapist’ Case Illegally Obtained by SF Cops
San Francisco police officials gathered a room of reporters…

Major Police Body Camera Manufacturer Rejects Facial Recognition Software
The largest manufacturer of police body cameras is rejecting…

Florida Woman Faced 10 Years for ‘Meth’ That Was ‘Just a Rock’
A scandal of falsified drug arrests is spreading at a Florida…

Aggression Detectors: The Unproven, Invasive Surveillance Technology Schools Are Using to Monitor Students
Ariella Russcol specializes in drama at the Frank Sinatra School…

State Supreme Court Blasts Renowned Forensic Scientist Henry Lee and Throws Out 1989 Murder Convictions of Two New Milford Men
In a unanimous decision released Friday afternoon, the…

Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) Technology and Criminal Law Committee Minor CLE – June 11 at 12:00 PM
Tuesday 16 July 2019
12:00PM-1:00PM
Technology &…

Watchdog Says FBI Has Access to About 640M Photographs
A government watchdog says the FBI has access to about 640 million…

The Genealogy Site That Helped Catch the Golden State Killer is Grappling with Privacy
Since April 2018, when police announced they had apprehended…

Why Does Alexa Save Transcripts of User Conversations? This Senator Asked Amazon
A Democratic senator sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos…

Bad Drug Tests Have Put Central Floridians in Jail for Doughnut Crumbs, Drywall. Local Company Hopes to Make a Better System
A Central Florida company has been awarded a $225,000 grant…

Voice-Print Technology Monitors Inmates’ Calls in Florida
A sophisticated voice-identity technology that monitors inmates…

San Francisco Just Banned Facial-Recognition Technology
San Francisco, long one of the most tech-friendly and tech-savvy…

Dirty Data, Bad Predictions: How Civil Rights Violations Impact Police Data, Predictive Policing Systems, and Justice
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using predictive policing…

Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police
The tech giant records people’s locations worldwide. Now, investigators…

Florida Woman Faced 10 Years for ‘Meth’ That Was ‘Just a Rock’
Melissa Morales was riding her bicycle near the Flamingo Diner…

The Myth of Fingerprints
At 9:00 a.m. last December 14, a man in Orange County, California,…

A New Method of DNA Testing Could Solve More Shootings
POLICE FOUND 19 spent shell casings scattered in the San Diego…

One Twin Committed the Crime — But Which One? A New DNA Test Can Finger the Culprit
One night in November 1999, a 26-year-old woman was raped in…

Orlando Police Seek Money for Rapid DNA System to Solve Crimes, but Some Fear ‘Guilty by Machine’
The Orlando Police Department is seeking state funding to buy a…

FBI Scientist’s Statements Linked Defendants to Crimes, Even When His Lab Results Didn’t
Court records and FBI Lab files show statements by prosecutors…

Webinar: DNA Dystopia
March 5, 2019 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 60 minutes
This session…

Close Enough: Police Departments Are Using “Reverse Location Search Warrants” to Force Google to Hand Over Data on Anyone Near a Crime Scene
On the night of March 16, 2017, the city of Raleigh, North…

Dozens of Cities Have Secretly Experimented with Predictive Policing Software
The use of PredPol—a predictive policing software that once…

Prisons Across the U.S. Are Quietly Building Databases of Incarcerated People’s Voice Prints
ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS ago at New York’s Sing Sing prison, John…

Spring Training – March 4-8
Download the agenda.

Could Fingerprint Scanners Replace Check-In Lines at Airports, Baseball Games and Hospitals?
When Apple introduced an electronic fingerprint scanner to…

Florida Man Spent 41 days in Jail for Heroin. But It Was Actually Detergent, Cops Say
For nearly six full weeks, 29-year-old Matt Crull said he sat…

Secondary Transfer of Organic Gunshot Residue After Handshakes, Arrests
Secondary transfer is a bugaboo in forensic science. As instrumentation…

Amazon Facial-Identification Software Used by Police Falls Short on Tests for Accuracy and Bias, New Research Finds
Facial-recognition software developed by Amazon and marketed…

Sheriff: State Privacy Laws ‘Have Not Kept Pace’ with Technology
With new technology like smart devices and facial recognition,…

Florida Court: Prosecutors Had No Obligation to Turn Over Facial Recognition Evidence
A Jacksonville man argued he had a right to see photos of other…

Death is Different XXV
Seminar Agenda
Thursday, February 21, 2019
7:30-8:30 …

The FBI Says Its Photo Analysis Is Scientific Evidence. Scientists Disagree.
The bureau’s image unit has linked defendants to crime photographs…

Watch a Florida Cop Botch a Drug Field Test on Video, Then Arrest an Innocent Man
Body camera footage obtained by Reason appears to show…

Your Vehicle Black Box: A ‘Witness’ Against You in Court
Odds are your vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder,…

DNA Basics
Last week, the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD)…

Cato Institute 2018 Surveillance Conference
The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world…

Jailing the Wrong Man: Mug Shot Searches Persist in New York, Despite Serious Risks
Many big police departments will not use open-ended mug shot…

FREE Webinar: Probabilistic Genotyping
DNA labs are increasingly turning to sophisticated computer programs…

She Was Jailed for Drunk Driving. Instead She Had Had a Stroke, Didn’t Get Help for Days
A woman accused of drunken driving and jailed had really…

High-Tech Cameras That Recognize People Are Coming to Broward Schools
The next time you step onto a Broward County school campus, the…

FREE Webinar: The Transfer Defense
Law enforcement are using increasingly smaller DNA samples…

Hillsborough Robbery Case Raises Cell Phone Privacy Questions
The case of a man suspected of burglary in Hillsborough County…

State Attorney’s Office Reviewing 1975 Murder Case Recently Featured in Times Series
The state attorney’s office that prosecuted Tommy Zeigler for…

FREE Webinar: DNA Basics
DNA no longer means do not acquit. This presentation will help…

It Shouldn’t Be Routine for Cops to Consult with Medical Examiners
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit released…

Bloodstain Analysis Convinced a Jury She Stabbed Her 10-Year-Old Son. Now, Even Freedom Can’t Give Her Back Her Life.
Julie Rea was convicted of killing her son largely on the testimony…

Jeff Brandes Files Cell Phone Privacy Bill
State Sen. Jeff Brandes has again filed a bill that would protect…

New Scientific Paper: The Uncertain Future of Forensic Science
Abstract
Forensic science is at a crossroads. In the last…

Presumptive Drug Test Training
UCF doctoral students Emily Lennert and Jessica Sprague, along…

We Broke Into a Bunch of Android Phones With a 3D-Printed Head
Facial recognition is cropping up everywhere. From shopping…

She Swiped Her Co-Worker’s Coke Can. Police Say It Cracked a 28-Year-Old Murder Case
The police were again circling the Franz Bakery Outlet…

Orlando Public Defender’s Office Hosts 17th Annual PD Clothing Drive
A very big thank you to all who volunteered and donated on Saturday…

Doctors Defending Convicted Child Abuser “Exceed the Limits of Credulity,” Judge Rules
A Florida state court judge rejected a new trial for a man convicted…

FBI Admits Vastly Inflating Number of Unsearchable Mobile Devices
For seven months, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray argued that…

17th Annual PD Clothing Drive – Saturday, December 15 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Getting ready for the Holidays?
Please remember the 17th…

Evaluating the Use of Automated Facial Recognition Technology in Major Policing Operations
Academics at Cardiff University have conducted the first independent…

Blood and Truth: The Lingering Case of Tommy Zeigler and How Florida Fights DNA Testing
On the Row, angry men sometimes screamed at him, said he…

Police Mistook Her Cotton Candy for Meth and Sent Her to Jail. Now She’s Suing.
When Monroe County sheriff’s deputies asked Dasha Fincher…

The Dangerous Junk Science of Vocal Risk Assessment
IS IT POSSIBLE to tell whether someone is a criminal just from…

Rejected Forensics Case Makes Strange High Court Bedfellows
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor teamed up for a dissent…

Police Think Alexa May Have Witnessed a New Hampshire Double Homicide. Now They Want Amazon to Turn Her Over.
Alexa may have been listening, as she almost always is,…

2019 Making Sense of Science Seminar – April 5-6, 2019
NACDL's 12th Annual Forensic Science & the Law Seminar,…

NACDL Midwinter Meeting & Seminar: “Preventing Wrongful Convictions” – February 13-16, 2019
NACDL's 2019 Midwinter Meeting & Seminar,"Preventing Wrongful…

Civil Libertarians Concerned About Undisclosed FBI Research into Tattoo Recognition Technology
Yet another example of how the judicial and legislative branches…

2018 NACDL Conference: Combatting the Surveillance State
This FREE Training event, co-sponsored by NACDL and the…

Examiner Who Said Rainey’s Burned Body Showed No Trauma Got a Promotion and an Award
Earlier this month, New Times revealed that the Miami-Dade…

2018 Defending Sex Cases Conference
Defending charges of sexual assault and child abuse can be…

Migrant Minor is Held in Adult Detention Facility for Nearly a Year After Dental Exam Found He Was Likely 18
Soon after a young Guatemalan immigrant climbed over…

FBI Asks Google to Turn Over Data on All Users Who Were Close to Robbery Locations
The FBI has asked Google for location data on anyone close in…

Uncovering the Chemical Secrets of Burned Bones
In a new study, researchers report that Fourier transform infrared…

Avery Attorneys Buting, Strang Create Nonprofit Focused on Improving Forensic Science
Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, whose representation of Steven…

What Happened After an 11-Year-Old Boy Was Accused of Murdering His Pregnant Soon-To-Be Stepmom
On the morning of Feb. 20, 2009, Chris Brown was running a little…

Orlando Extends Facial Recognition Pilot Program
Orlando police officials say they will extend a pilot program…

Ancestry Sites Could Soon Expose Nearly Anyone’s Identity, Researchers Say
Genetic testing has helped plenty of people gain insight into…

Private DNA Lab Under Fire for Faulty Analysis
National Medical Services, Inc. (“NMS”), a Pennsylvania-based…

Junk Arson Science Sent Claude Garrett to Prison for Murder 25 Years Ago. Will Tennessee Release Him?
ON A MONDAY MORNING in late September, I arrived at a house in…

Death Investigation Academy – December 10-14
Explore strategies for conducting death investigations that occur…

Test Determines Individuals Likeliest to Shed DNA at Crime Scenes
Now Flinders University Professor Adrian Linacre and a team…

Registration Open: Forensic Science Friday – Medical Testimony and Records
This month's Forensic Science Friday will feature Attorney…

ACLU Questions Trade Secrets Protecting DNA Testing Algorithms
DNA testing can be flawed, often in complex ways. However, courts…

The Child-Abuse Contrarian – The New Yorker
Michael Holick, a renowned scientist turned expert witness, relies…

Miami Prosecutors Quietly Drop “Solved” 1986 Cold-Case Murder Charges
In 2014, Miami-Dade County prosecutors said Rickey L. Davis was…

Defender Summer School’s Facial Recognition Software and Eyewitness Identification Series
Last month, Robert Wesley, Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial…

Miami Cops Plan to Use New 90-Minute DNA Tests, Alarming Civil Liberty Groups
Traditionally, police need two to three months to collect, process,…

What Happened at the Lake
LAST SUMMER I got an email from a man whose reputation, and voice,…

Death Investigation Academy – November 12-16
Explore strategies for conducting death investigations that occur…

FREE Webinar: The Five B’s of Child Physical Abuse: Bruises, Burns, Bones, Bellies, and Brains – September 19
Kristen Reeder, Child Abuse Pediatrician, Children's Health –…

FREE Webinar: Face-Off: Recognizing and Challenging the Use of Facial Recognition Technology – September 18 at 11:00 AM
Description: The Police departments across the country are…

Study Finds Wrongful Convictions in 11.6 Percent of Sexual Assault Cases from Pre-DNA Testing Era
A recent study by the Urban Institute estimated that “wrongful…

Helping Solve the Wildest Crimes – The Washington Post
The young golden eagle on the operating table showed no outward…

FREE Webinar: The Five B’s of Child Physical Abuse: Bruises, Burns, Bones, Bellies, and Brains – September 12
Kristen Reeder, Child Abuse Pediatrician, Children's Health –…

US Government Wants Facebook to Break Encryption in its Messenger App – Ride the Lightning
Reuters reported on August 17th that he U.S. government is…

Stingray: PBSO Deputies Use Secret Cellphone Catcher that Could Grab Your Call Logs, Texts – The Palm Beach Post
Cops in Palm Beach County and across the country are using secret…

Academic Paper Highlights Need to Tighten Rules for Fingerprint Evidence in Light of False-Positive Error Rate – Criminal Legal News
A new study published in the UCLA Law Review reveals a potential…

Hackers Can Edit Police Body Cam Footage Without Anybody Noticing – Motherboard
Police body camera footage is touted as objective and transparent…

The Pot Breathalyzer Is Here. Maybe – NPR
As legalization of recreational and medical marijuana continues…

Training Opportunity: Mobile Device Investigations – October 8-10
Learn current cell phone related strategies and techniques for…

New in School: AI-Driven Gun Detection Systems – Undark
Several companies hope to use artificial intelligence to automatically…

Secondary DNA Transfer: The Rarely Discussed Phenomenon That Can Place the Innocent (and the Dead) at a Crime Scene They’ve Never Been To – Criminal Legal News
In 1930, the French scientist Edmond Locard published a journal…

NIST Publishes Landmark MIX13 DNA Study – Forensic Magazine
Five years after an interlaboratory study showed that more than…

Suspicious Death Investigations: Finding the Right, Eliminating the Wrong, and Avoiding the Undetermined
Examine case studies based on the experiences of a homicide detective…

Training Opportunity: Current Drug Trends Symposium – August 29-30
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that every day,…

Why Do We Still Use ‘Junk Science’ to Convict? Blame the Judges – The Crime Report
For decades, the criminal justice system in the United States…

After 23 Years on Death Row, Barry Jones Sees His Conviction Overturned: Arizona Must Retry or Release Him Immediately – The Intercept
That the evidence no longer supported Jones’s conviction was…

Inside Florida’s Only Forensic Body Farm – WWSB ABC 7
It's a five acre field, just north of Tampa, that may look like…

New Forensic Analysis Can Pinpoint Victim’s Age From Blood Stains – Forbes
Blood stains may soon be able to give forensic analysts a crucial…

NIST Builds Statistical Foundation for Next-Generation Forensic DNA Profiling – National Institute of Standards and Technology
DNA is often considered the most reliable form of forensic evidence,…

Facial Recognition Software Wrongly Identifies 28 Lawmakers As Crime Suspects – NPR
Facial recognition software sold by Amazon mistakenly identified…

A Research Biologist was Raped and Killed 24 Years Ago. Police Say Attacker May Have Looked Like This – The Washington Post
Police released images of how an attacker connected to several…

2018 “DWI Means Defend With Ingenuity®” Seminar: “Grand Slam Defenses” – October 10-13
NACDL & NCDD's 22nd Annual "DWI Means Defend With Ingenuity®" Seminar, "Grand…

Orlando to Continue Testing Amazon Facial Recognition Software – WKMG News 6
The Amazon Rekognition software has been in testing in Orlando…

“We the Defenders”: National Association for Public Defense Investigator and Social Worker/Sentencing Advocates Conference – November 26-29
"We the Defenders": National Association for Public Defense Investigator…

Registration Open: Defender Summer School, August 6-7
Registration is now open for the 2018 Defender Summer School,…

Judge Throws Out DNA Evidence in UT Murder Suspect’s Case – KXAN
A judge decided to not allow certain DNA evidence in the…

Idaho Supreme Court Orders Acquittal for Insufficient Identification of Drug – Criminal Legal News
On March 2, 2018, the Supreme Court of Idaho vacated a prisoner’s…

FREE Webinar: Location Privacy After Carpenter – July 2
Just how private is location data kept by cellphone providers?
Join…

Orlando Pulls the Plug on Its Amazon Facial Recognition Program – The New York Times
Amid a growing outcry about privacy concerns by civil liberties…

FREE Telephonic Briefing on June 27: Carpenter v. United States
NACDL will host a telephone briefing tomorrow, Wednesday, June…

Opinion Analysis: Court Holds that Police will Generally Need a Warrant for Sustained Cellphone Location Information (Updated) – SCOTUSblog
Over 40 years ago, the Supreme Court outlined what has come to…

FREE Webinar: It Really Is “Normal to be Normal” in Child Sexual Abuse – June 28 at 1:00 PM
Brief Overview: A child abuse pediatrician will describe the…


AI: Supplement or Supplant? – Open Ninth
The foundation of every conceivable website and app is a computer…

FREE Webinar: Investigating and Prosecuting Allegations of Medical Child Abuse – June 20 at 3:00 PM
Medical child abuse is a form of physical and emotional abuse…

Golden State Killer: DNA That Led to Suspect’s Arrest was Collect from His Car While He Shopped – News Channel 5
Court documents show that police collected DNA from Joseph James…

How an Unproven Forensic Science Spread Through the Criminal Justice System – ProPublica
The modern era of bloodstain-pattern analysis began when a small…

Blood Will Tell – ProPublica
The murder of Mickey Bryan, a quiet fourth-grade teacher, stunned…

What Role Does Hypoxia Play in Criminal Cases?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
For both prosecutors…

Fingerprint Analysis Could Finally Get Scientific, Thanks to a New Tool – Gizmodo
FRStat is a new tool that could improve the reliability of fingerprint…

New Tool Predicts Eye, Hair and Skin Color from a DNA Sample of an Unidentified Individual – EurekAlert
An international team of forensic scientists has developed HIrisPlex-S…

FBI Repeatedly Overstated Encryption Threat Figures to Congress, Public – The Washington Post
On Tuesday, the FBI announced that it had provided incorrect…

Medical Examiner Quits, Calls Volusia County Situation ‘Potentially Dangerous’ – The Orlando Sentinel
Volusia County Medical Examiner Sara Zydowicz resigned this week…

Orlando Police Testing Amazon’s Real-Time Facial Recognition – NPR
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a public…

U.S. House Pass New DNA Cold Case Bill – Corridor News
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed…

U.S. District Judge Limits Cell-Site Expert’s Testimony in Maryland
Earlier this month, a U.S. District Judge limited the testimony…

Here’s Why the Rival Autopsies of Sacramento Police Shooting Victim Stephon Clark Don’t Line Up – Mother Jones
Forensic pathologists explain why the official autopsy and private…

How the Supreme Court Could Rewrite the Rules for DNA Searches – The New Republic
The use of a genealogy DNA database to track down the Golden…

Forensic Chemist Uses Sweat to Distinguish Individuals at Crime Scene
A forensic chemist has released a new paper about how sweat from…

Privacy Advocates Concerned About Google AI and Pentagon Drone Surveillance – Criminal Legal News
Google has agreed to use its artificial intelligence technology…

Serial Killer Search Led to Wrong Man in 2017 – The New York Times
Before arresting Joseph James DeAngelo, investigators allegedly…

What Role Does Delirium Play in Criminal Cases?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
In many of…

How a Genealogy Site Led to the Front Door of the Golden State Killer Suspect – The New York Times
A suspect has been arrested decades after the Golden State Killer…

DNA’s Revolutionary Role in Freeing the Innocent – The Innocence Project
This article provides an overview of the history of DNA analysis,…

Five Years On, Will MIX13 DNA Study Be ‘Bombshell’ Paper? – Forensic Magazine
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) MIX13…

Can Estimates from Forensic Handwriting Experts Be Trusted in Court? – ScienceDaily
Forensic handwriting specialists are often called on to testify…

Framed for Murder By His Own DNA – The Marshall Project
Based on touch DNA, Lukis Anderson was charged with a crime that…

Dr. John Plunkett, RIP. He Told the Truth About Bad Forensics — And Was Prosecuted for It – The Washington Post
Dr. John Plunkett, the forensic pathologist who exposed the junk…

Prominent Academics Call for More Science in Forensic Science
Six former members of the National Commission on Forensic Science…

Too Much Doubt: After Decades on Death Row, William Montgomery Was Granted a Reprieve. Yet His Dubious Conviction Still Stands
Although Ohio death row inmate William Montgomery was granted…

Leesburg Murder Trial May Hinge on Entomology
The upcoming murder trial of David Marriotti will likely come…

Orange-Osceola Public Defenders Learn About Fentanyl, Counterfeit Pills
Last week, Public Defender Robert Wesley hosted a seminar on…

The Hairy Problem with Drug Testing
A new lawsuit says that the practice of testing hair for drugs…

Why Scientists Are Stabbing Pig Carcasses with Samurai Swords
Forensic scientists have conducted new experiments to distinguish…

Don’t Take a Genetic Test Without Reading This First – Criminal Legal News
23andMe has reported that law enforcement agencies have requested…

California Supreme Court, Citing False Evidence, Overturns Murder Conviction That Put Delano Man on Death Row
Last week, the California Supreme Court overturned the murder…

Why are Police Departments Still Using Drug Field Tests? – The Washington Post
In this opinion piece, journalist Radley Balko discusses potential…

Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science Launches its Forensic Science Terminology Database
As part of the OSAC Lexicon Initiative, each OSAC unit has identified…

She Told Cops They Were Vitamins. But Botched Test Kept Florida Mom in Jail for Months – The Miami Herald
Rebecca Shaw of Tampa Bay spent five months in jail after a field…

How a Teacher’s ‘Junk Science’ Landed a Dad in Jail on Charge of Raping his Autistic Son – The Miami Herald
In this piece, The Miami Herald chronicles that wrongful arrest…

Much-Debated ‘Daubert’ Standard Has Its Day in Florida Supreme Court – The Daily Business Review
The Florida Supreme Court has begun hearing arguments in Delisle…

This Man Is on Death Row for Killing a 6-Month-Old. But What If We’re Wrong About Shaken Baby Syndrome?
In this article, journalist Radley Balko and law professor Tucker…

How Can a Forensic Nurse Help with My Case?
The nurses and doctors at Godoy Medical Forensics offer medico-legal…

The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South
Journalist Radley Balko and law professor Tucker Carrington…

Tunnel Vision: Arizona Prosecutors Double Down on Murder Theory as the Evidence Crumbles Around Them
In Part 2 of The Intercept's investigation on the possible wrongful…

Forensic Science Put Jimmy Genrich in Prison for 24 Years. What if It Wasn’t Science?
The Nation explores the use of toolmark analysis in the case…

2018 Making Sense of Science Seminar
Registration has opened for the National Association of Criminal…

American Academy of Forensic Sciences’ 70th Annual Scientific Meeting
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) will hold its…

New DNA Database at Rutgers-Camden to Strengthen Forensic Science – phys.org
Rutgers University at Camden has developed a new database known…

Experts Hired to Present 3D Animation of Shots Allegedly Fired by FBI Agent at LaVoy Finicum’s Truck
Forensic experts have been hired to present 3D animations for…

New NIST Forensic Tests to Ensure High-Quality Copies of Digital Evidence
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has…

Scientists Shoot Human Heads Filled With Cow Blood for Science
A new study on backspatter has used human heads filled with cow…

How Long do Psilocybin/Mushrooms Stay in the System?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Users can come…

Luminescent Nanoparticles Leave a Glowing Fingerprint
A new fingerprint analysis method leaves fingerprints that glow…

Can a Brain Scan Tell If You’re Lying?
Although a functional MRI is more accurate than a polygraph,…

Arkansas Prosecutors Drop Murder Case That Hinged On Evidence From Amazon Echo – NPR
Prosecutors in Arkansas have dropped the first-degree murder…

Is Shot Spotter Reliable Enough? Critics Question Human Equation Behind Technology
ShotSpotter was designed to locate gunfire through audio sensors…

Science, Technology, or the Examiner Experience: What Influences Jurors’ Judgments About Forensic Science Testimony?
New research raises concerns about the potential undue influence…

Texas National Guard Installed Cellphone Spying Devices on Surveillance Planes
Reports have revealed that Digital Receiver Technology, Inc. (DRT)…

New Mathematical Model Gives Courts Valuable DNA Tool – ScienceDaily
New research has placed evidentiary value on DNA from Y chromosomes,…

Prosecutors: Thousands of Cases Impacted by Lab Misconduct
In yet another crime lab scandal, Massachusetts prosecutors estimate…

What are the Pitfalls of Radiology?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Don't Believe Everything…

In a Bizarre Murder Hearing, Prosecutor Argues That Flies in Las Vegas Don’t Like Dead Bodies
In a post-conviction hearing for Kirstin Blaise Lobato, who…

Using DNA to Sketch What Victims Look Like; Some Call It Science Fiction
Law enforcement agencies are using phenotyping to predict the…

NIST Urges Caution in Use of Courtroom Evidence Presentation Method
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has…


Strengthening Forensic Science: From the Scene to the Courtroom, October 17-18
The University of Central Florida's National Center for Forensic…

Tattoo Recognition: Law Enforcement’s Newest Identification Tool
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has…

Innovative Program Addresses Need to More Accurately Apply Forensic Science in Justice System
University of South Florida-St. Petersburg (USFSP) has established…

National Institute of Standards and Technology to Study the Reliability of Forensic Methods for Analyzing DNA Mixtures
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will…

How Do Forensic Nurses Analyze Gunshot Wounds?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Doctor Accuracy
Medical…

Strengthening Forensic Science: From the Scene to the Courtroom, October 17-18
The University of Central Florida's National Center for Forensic…

Could Insect Larvae Help Solve Rape-Murder Cases?
A new study from Murdoch University found that carrion fly larvae…

D.C. Court of Appeals Rules That Stingray Surveillance Requires a Warrant
This week, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals decided…

Can Liver Failure Be Mistaken for Intoxication?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Case Summary
Mr.…

AAAS Releases Its Quality and Gap Analysis of Latent Fingerprint Examination
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)…

Can Cops Force You to Unlock Your Phone with Your Face?
Some critics have raised constitutional questions about Apple's…

The Link Between Animal Abuse and Murder
Melinda Merck, a forensic veterinarian, has argued that there…

Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted
Over the past decade, New York City's laboratory developed two…

Medical Records: Where to Start?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
If you’re looking for…

AAAS Releases Its Quality and Gap Analysis of Arson Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)…

The Emperor of Junk Science Forensics Has Died
Last month, Robert O’Block killed himself after murdering…

Free Event: Evaluating the Evidence: Arson Scene to the Courtroom
The University of Central Florida (UCF) Distinguished Speaker…

Ghost in the Engine: Cabbies, Engineers, Dying Whistle-Blower Say Unintended Acceleration is Real – Consumer Affairs
One whistleblower claims that dysfunctional accelerators in some…

What is Methamphetamine?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Methamphetamine…

President Trump Signs the Rapid DNA Act
Last week, President Trump signed the Rapid DNA Act, which will…

Automated Fingerprint Analysis is One Step Closer to Reality – Science Daily
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology…

Revolutionary Fingertip Drug Test Aids Forensic Toxicology – Select Science
The development of a new fingertip-based drug screening system…

At Least 100 Cases May be Impacted by the Work of a Fingerprint Examiner, Orange-Osceola Public Defender’s Office Says – The Orlando Sentinel
Officials for the Ninth Judicial Circuit have indicated that…

Justice Department Creates In-House Team to Monitor Accuracy of Forensic Testimony in Criminal Cases
The U.S. Department of Justice has established an internal team…

How Can a DUI Blood Draw Be Dismissed?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
At the DUI…

Wiretap Report 2016
U.S. Courts released its annual wiretap report for 2016. Some…

Judge: Pacemaker Data Can Be Used in Middletown Arson Trial
An Ohio judge has ruled that digital data from a defendant's…

Scientists Still Seek A Reliable DUI Test For Marijuana
Despite an increasing number of states legalizing medical marijuana…

What is Great Bodily Injury or Significant Bodily Injury?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
In regards…

Bruises and Bones: When is It Child Abuse?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Child abuse cases are…

Forensic Scientists Recover Human DNA from Mosquitoes – ScienceDaily
A new study has found that human blood extracted from mosquitoes…

To Solve Gruesome Desert Mysteries, Scientists Become Body Collectors – NPR
Colorado's Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) is…

Science Organizations Renew Call for Independent U.S. Committee on Forensics
Numerous scientific organizations, led by the American Association…

When is it Neglect?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Neglect is not a straightforward…

Police Mistake Powdered Drywall for Cocaine
A man spent nearly three months in the Seminole County Jail after…

Critics Claim that Broward Judges Aren’t Letting Defendants Challenge Bad DNA Evidence
Following a scandal in the Broward County Sheriff's Office Crime…

Digital Forensics for Criminal Defense Attorneys
On June 29th, the National Association for Public Defense will…

Using Cardiac Devices to Solve Forensic Cases
A newly released study shows how cardiac devices, such as pacemakers…

How Can Diabetes Result in a DUI?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Diabetes is…

Can the Law Enforcement’s DNA Database Tell Police Your Medical Information?
In a new study, researchers have developed a way to match forensic…

Using Frontal Sinus Development to Determine Age
Last week, North Carolina State University published a study…

Artemisinin-Luminol Chemiluminescence for Forensic Bloodstain Detection Using a Smart Phone as a Detector
The American Chemical Society released a new study on the use…

Can One Punch Kill?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
In assault and attempted…

How Audio Analysis Of Gunshots Helps Solve Crimes
Acoustic forensics expert Robert Maher discusses how audio analysis…

Intra- and Interskeletal Proteome Variations in Fresh and Buried Bones
The American Chemical Society released Intra- and Interskeletal…

Privacy Experts Express Concerns Over Gene Pattern Research
A recent study on gene pattern research suggests that a limited…

Florida’s First Body Farm
In this WGCU podcast, Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney, professor forensic…

Federal Government Uses Cell-Site Simulators to Hind Undocumented Immigrants
Federal immigration agencies have begun use cell-site simulator…

Can DNA Evidence Be Too Convincing? An Acquitted Man Thinks So
In 2015, Terrell Gills was arrested for allegedly robbing a Dunkin'…

Is the Defendant Drunk or Concussed?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
If a person…

Critics Speak Out Against Colorado’s Use of Polygraphs on Sex Offenders
Despite concerns of the unreliability of polygraph testing, Colorado…

Litigation Challenges and Friction Ridge Evidence
On April 28th, 2017, the Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial…

Drug Field Tests, False Positives, and Bogus Pleas
On April 28th, 2017, the Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial…

Department of Justice Asks for Public Comments on How to Improve Forensic Science
Nearly one month after disbanding the National Commission on…

What are Pressure Ulcers?
5 Facts Criminal Attorneys Should Know About Pressure Ulcers
…

World’s First Cold-Weather Body Farm
Later this year, Northern Michigan University will debut the…

Are Two Black Eyes Indicative of Abuse?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Two Black Eyes,…


Strangulation or Drug Overdose? The Convictions of Jessie McKim and James Peavler
New testimony from forensic pathologists cast doubt upon the…

Taser International Announces Plans to Use Police Body Cameras to Anticipate Crimes
Police equipment manufacture Taser International has announced…

Flawed Forensic Science May Be Hampering Identification of Human Remains
The Australian National University (ANU) has published new research…

How Can You Tell if There are Multiple Injuries from Blunt Force Trauma?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Multiple Injuries
You…

When Does In-Home Caregiving Turn into Elder Abuse/Neglect?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
In many criminal cases,…

Over 20,000 Cases Dropped in Connection with Drug Crime Lab Scandal
Massachusetts prosecutors announced that they would collectively…

What Symptoms of Heroin Withdrawal Would Affect a Defendant’s Ability to Form Intent?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
What Symptoms of Heroin…

Using Artificial Intelligence to Sentence Criminals
Some courts and corrections departments are using algorithms…

What are Abrasions and Lacerations?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
An abrasion…

Forensic Scientists Have Developed a Robot That Imitates Knife Stabbing
Forensic scientists have developed a machine that imitates knife…

Phenotyping Face Sketches: Science or False Hope?
Parabon Labs is marketing a new technology that involves phenotyping—using…

Department of Justice to End National Commission on Forensic Science
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a statement today…

What Constitutes Great Bodily Injury (GBI)?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
I am often called to…

New Hair Analysis Technique May Be Able to Predict a Suspect’s Lifestyle Traits
A new technique for hair analysis may allow scientists to predict…

Using Pollen as a Forensic Tool
While palynology, the study of pollen grains, has rarely been…

Using Sonar to Search for Dead Bodies in Water
Police and forensic scientists are using sonar to find dead bodies…

How is Abusive Head Trauma Diagnosed?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
The purpose…

Concerns Arise Over the Use of Real-Time Face Recognition and Body Cameras
As science advances real-time face recognition technology, civil…

Vast Majority of 24,000 Cases Handled by Dookhan will be Vacated
District attorneys have announced that the vast majority of 24,000…

Forensic Errors Found in D.C. Ballistics Crime Lab
Due to crime lab review revealed errors made by three forensic…

New Research Finds that Fingerprints Can Migrate on Non-Porous Surfaces
New research from the University of Abertay Dundee has found…

New Forensic Method Could Be Used to Predict Suspect’s Age Based on Blood and Saliva Samples
A new study, DNA Methylation-Based Forensic Age Prediction Using…

New Forensic Tool Could Help Identify Victims in Child Pornography
Researchers at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering,…

How Can Immaturity be Used as Mitigation?
Courtesy of Godoy Medical Forensics
Some defendants…