From The Editor: The Burden of Proof Will Weigh More Heavily on Crime Labs
By Rebecca Waters
The contentious 5-4 ruling in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts asserts that forensic analysts must testify under the Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause granting defendants the right to confront witnesses against them.
The Cost of Serving Justice
By Chris Asplen
In June, the United States Supreme Court issued one of its most significant opinions affecting the use of forensic science in the courtroom: Melendez-Diaz v.Massachusetts.
Examining Cellular Phones and Handheld Devices
By Don L. Lewis
From minor crimes to major cases, law enforcement is faced with the proper handling and analysis of these devices.
Necro-Radiology: Postmortem CT Scans Are On The Rise
By Douglas Page
The efficacy of forensic postmortem computed tomography is no longer in dispute. What is still in question is whether radiologists proficient at interpreting clinical imaging of the living can be expected to be equally adept at rendering precise postmortem forensic findings without special training.
Forensic Audio
By Kent Gibson
If only it were true, as the televised CSI seems to promise, that any audio recording could be made intelligible with a little bing from a computer. The realities of forensic audio may surprise you—amazing things are possible, but not all things.
Forensic Archeology in Criminal and Civil Cases
By Micaela N. Obledo
Should it be performed meticulously by professionals with proper tools or hurriedly by trustees with shovels?
A Fresh Look at Your Old Lab: the Facilities
By Vince McLeod, CIH, Glenn Ketcham, CIH
Does the lab you manage represent the message you would want to pass on to those entrusted to you? Take a walk through your lab, looking at all with the eyes of a child, with unprejudiced honesty of all you see.
Crime Scene Photography: Capturing the Scene
By Dick Warrington
In order to provide a complete record of each scene, you need field notes and diagrams, along with relevant still photographs that correlate with those notes and diagrams.
To Search or Not to Search…the Search Continues
By John J. Barbara
The examination of a computer’s hard drive without an additional warrant may become problematic.
Equipment Planning Meets Laboratory Design
By Ken Mohr, Cy Henningsen
This article will discuss how equipment can influence the design and infrastructural needs of two laboratory space types where the identification of evidence takes place.
