Ohio AG Calls for Rape Kit Testing Discussion
Aug 30, 2010
Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray is calling for a statewide conversation among lawmakers, law enforcement, and victim advocates about the testing of rape evidence kits.
California Bill Requires DNA Evidence Reporting
Aug 29, 2010
California lawmakers concerned that police are failing to analyze crucial DNA evidence in rape and sexual assault crimes approved legislation last week requiring law enforcement agencies to report all genetic material gathered in such cases to the state Department of Justice.
Medical Examiner: Doctor for the Dead
Aug 28, 2010
Santa Clara County medical examiner Dr. Michelle Jorden, a board certified neuropathologist, has become the in-house expert on shaken-baby cases and any death that needs special analysis of the brain. When performing an autopsy, Jorden sees herself as that person's doctor.
Firearms Analysis in Murder Conviction Rejected
Aug 27, 2010
On the third day of a retrial of an October 2008 Virginia murder conviction, forensics supervisors testified that the forensic firearms analysis in the case was incomplete, did not follow procedure, missed the presence of telltale gunpowder particles, and used inappropriate fabric to judge the firing distance.
Forensic Market to Reach $20.52 Billion by 2015
Aug 26, 2010
The U.S. market for Forensic Technologies and Services is projected to register $20.52 billion in annual revenue by 2015. Surging crime rates, the rising number of terrorist attacks, and a stronger role of forensic sciences in law enforcement are increasing the need for forensic technologies and services.
Report May Force NC SBI Crime Lab Closure
Aug 25, 2010
A state-ordered report found that agents in North Carolina repeatedly aided prosecutors in obtaining convictions during a 16-year period, mostly by misrepresenting blood evidence and keeping critical notes from defense attorneys.
Missing Persons Backlog at FBI Crime Lab
Aug 23, 2010
The FBI crime lab in Quantico, VA, has an overall DNA backlog of 3,211 cases—which would take two years to clear, even without the addition of new cases. Because missing persons cases often lack the urgency of a trial date, the backlog of over 1,400 missing persons cases is rarely prioritized.
North Carolina Newspaper Questions SBI Practices
Aug 21, 2010
The North Carolina News & Observer delved into the shortcomings of the State Bureau of Investigations in a four-part series which it claims has revealed more than a dozen instances in which agents cheated or bent the rules to secure the answer prosecutors sought.
Virginia Considers Familial DNA Testing
Aug 20, 2010
Local law enforcement in Virginia is hoping to begin using familial DNA testing in investigations. The Virginia Forensic Science Board has asked the forensics department to gather more information on the technology before its next presentation to the board in October.
New Device Will Slash Time for DNA Analysis
Aug 20, 2010
The Center for Applied Nanobioscience and Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix has been contracted by the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and more recently by the Forensic Science Service, to develop a rapid integrated DNA analysis tool.
Michigan Retains U.P. Crime Lab
Aug 19, 2010
A $2.5 million appropriation bill passed by the House and Senate and signed by Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm, will allow the Michigan State Police Crime Lab in Marquette to remain open.
Maryland DNA Program Results In 267 Arrests
Aug 16, 2010
Due to an increased focus on DNA testing that began in 2007, Maryland has succeeded in clearing a 24,000 sample backlog and arrested 267 suspects in the process.
GBI Crime Lab Back in Business
Aug 13, 2010
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab in Moultrie, which was shuttered due to budget constraints, is now operating on a limited basis.
ROTC Cadets Trained in Forensics
Aug 13, 2010
The National Forensic Science Technology Center has begun a Forensics and Biometrics Internship for ROTC to help cadets understand how the military uses a variety of forensic science disciplines to gather intelligence.
Super-Accurate Sensors Could Advance Forensics
Aug 12, 2010
A new technology enabling tiny machines called micro electromechanical systems to "self-calibrate" could make possible super-accurate and precise sensors for crime-scene forensics, environmental testing, and medical diagnostics.
New Master’s Program in Media Forensics
Aug 12, 2010
This fall, the National Center for Media Forensics (NCMF) at The University of Colorado Denver is launching a master’s degree program focused on the forensic analysis of video and audio media evidence to educate the next generation of forensic media experts.
System Matches Suspect DNA with Crime Samples in 4 Hours
Aug 09, 2010
A new system developed by researchers from the Forensic Science Service uses an instrument loaded with a DNA processing cartridge to speed the DNA analysis. Using this system, the entire process from taking the sample from a suspect, to database compatible DNA profile production can be achieved in less than 4 hours.
SFPD Hires Civilian CSIs
Aug 09, 2010
Under a $955,000 pilot project to begin in January, 15 civilian investigators trained in simple crime scene procedures will augment the San Francisco Police Department’s crime scene unit, helping the city respond more swiftly to property and other non-violent crimes.
U.S. Losing Nuclear Forensics Skills
Aug 09, 2010
A study released by the National Research Council’s Committee on Nuclear Forensics suggests that the capabilities of the U.S. to prevent, mitigate, or attribute a nuclear or radiological incident through nuclear forensics is declining.
Fast, Reliable Method to Detect Graves
Aug 09, 2010
A new technique, developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, can reliably detect biochemical changes in a decomposing cadaver making it easier to detect hidden graves.
Private Labs for Property Crime DNA Evidence
Aug 09, 2010
Fort Lauderdale police commanders are convinced they can make a major dent in property crime by using DNA evidence if they bypass the Broward Sheriff's Office crime lab and commission a private crime lab to process the evidence.
Safe Meth Lab Clean Up
Aug 06, 2010
Suzanne Bell, assistant professor of forensic and analytical chemistry at West Virginia University received a $77,471 grant to investigate if the standard cleaning and purifying procedures used to clean homes and apartments which previously served as meth labs really work.
Texas Commission Finds No Fault in Willingham Case
Aug 06, 2010
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has tentatively concluded that there was no professional negligence or misconduct by arson investigators whose flawed work in a fatal Corsicana fire contributed to the conviction and 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.
GBI Refutes Claim of Crime Lab Backlog
Aug 06, 2010
We’re used to prosecutors claiming case delays due to crime lab backlogs, but in a rare triumph on the side of crime labs, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab was able to refute claims that backlogs were hampering the analysis of evidence in the slayings of eight people in Brunswick, Georgia.
Forensic Science Due for a Makeover
Jul 29, 2010
The forensic community is bracing itself for change as we await the White House response to the NAS report on the state of forensic science. The National Science and Technology Council, the committee reviewing the report, is slated to release their findings on the practicalities of implementing the NRC's recommendations by September 2011.
