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.
Fingerprint Mutilation on the Rise
Jul 29, 2010
The FBI's forensics examiners have noticed the uptick in fingerprint mutilations over the last few years, although advancements in forensics technology have made the efforts fruitless, as even severely damaged fingers provide investigators with clues.
Drugged-Driving Increasingly a Problem
Jul 29, 2010
As drunken-driving deaths are dropping, law enforcement are seeing an increase in cases of driving under the influence of drugs—namely prescription drugs. Unlike with alcohol, however, there is no agreement on what level of drugs in the blood impairs driving and behavioral effects of prescription medications vary widely.
San Francisco’s Missing Link
Jul 29, 2010
Questions about the operations and efficiency of the San Francisco Police Department crime lab have arisen as DNA analysis automation equipment lies unused six years after purchase.
Touch DNA Fast Tracks Prison Investigations
Jul 29, 2010
Investigators at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, are leveraging Touch DNA to resolve cases of illegal contraband in the prison.
Emergency DNA Lab Proposal to Tackle Backlog
Jul 23, 2010
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos has called for the establishment of an emergency city-county DNA lab in Houston to handle thousands of untested pieces of evidence. The lab would be a temporary measure until the new regional crime lab is built.
North Carolina Suspect DNA Testing Law Signed
Jul 23, 2010
North Carolina Governor, Bev Perdue, signed into law a measure that calls for DNA samples to be taken upon arrest for a variety of offenses including everything from murder and rape to cyberstalking.
Texas Rangers Audit Austin Crime Lab
Jul 23, 2010
The Texas Rangers are now auditing the Austin Police Department forensic crime lab following a controversy that began when former DNA analyst wrote a lengthy memorandum to APD supervisors, as well as a city APD Human Resources manager, citing 40 issues she believed needed to be addressed.
Seminar Encourages Justice through Evidence
Jul 23, 2010
Law professionals and government officials from the Dhi Qar Province in Iraq attended a rule of law seminar held at the Mittica Training Center in Nasiriyah, where they discussed the use of evidence to prosecute suspects accused of employing explosive devices.
Forensic Symposium to Address Best Practices
Jul 23, 2010
The University of Tennessee National Forensic Academy will host a Best Practices Symposium for forensic and crime scene investigators, December 9-10 in Nashville.
DNA Breakthrough in Grim Sleeper Case
Jul 16, 2010
A breakthrough that led to the arrest of Los Angeles’ “Grim Sleeper,” a serial killer who has murdered at least 10 people, may also provide a bigger breakthrough in the use of familial DNA to solve crimes for which the DNA database fails to find a match.
University at Albany Researcher Develops CSI Technique
Jul 16, 2010
University at Albany associate professor Igor Lednev has developed a novel, easy-to-use approach utilizing Raman spectroscopy for crime scene investigators to identify body fluids at crime scenes. The portable spectrometers will be capable of differentiating between species and determining sample age.
Urine Test for Marijuana Mimics
Jul 16, 2010
Redwood Toxicology Laboratory, Inc. announced it now offers lab-based testing for the detection of JWH-018 and JWH-073 metabolites in urine. JWH-018 and JWH-073 are among the numerous compounds found in "herbal" incense or “synthetic marijuana” smoke blends.
New Illinois Law Requires Rape Kit Testing
Jul 16, 2010
Early this month, Illinois became the first state to require the testing of all DNA evidence gathered from reported sex crimes. Starting Oct. 1, police departments will be required to submit all rape kits to the Illinois State Police crime lab within 10 days of collection. The lab will have six months to analyze the evidence.
New Technique to Determine Sex of Skeletal Remains Based on Hip Fragments
Jul 16, 2010
Research from North Carolina State University offers a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains from hip fragments that were traditionally too small for visual determination—an advance that may have significant impacts in the criminal justice system.
Maine Professor Combats the CSI Effect on Class at a Time
Jul 09, 2010
Professor Irv Kornfield, a University of Maine biology and ecology instructor, shows students the hard science behind forensics, proving once more that forensic science goes much deeper than the rash of “CSI” television programs portrays.
Bacon Burglar Identified Through Forensics
Jul 09, 2010
Johnny Hicks of Camano Island, Washington, was charged with residential burglary after a fingerprint linked him to the robbery of frozen bacon, a frozen pizza, and some drinks stolen from a garage freezer.
Admissibility of Michigan Blood-Alcohol Tests in Question
Jul 09, 2010
In his testimony in a Michigan drunk driving case, the crime lab’s chief toxicologist admitted that the lab does not take into account a margin of error when calculating blood-alcohol levels. The results of the case could affect the admissibility of blood alcohol evidence statewide.
New Technique Reveals Counterfeits
Jul 09, 2010
Scientists in Brazil and the U.S. have devised a mass spectrometric technique that can give a chemical profile of banknotes in seconds. There is almost no sample preparation required, it is non-destructive, and can reveal which counterfeit method was used to create the money.
MSU to Study Time Needed to Clear Rape Kit Backlog
Jul 09, 2010
A Michigan State University study, funded by the Michigan State Police, will analyze the resources needed to process the 10,500 rape evidence kits left untested by the shuttered Detroit Police crime laboratory.
Forensics Shed Light on Israeli Raid
Jul 09, 2010
Forensic examinations carried out in Turkey by the government-run Forensic Institute revealed that the Israeli forces involved in the raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship, shot to kill the activists and not to overpower them.
Teeth Reliable Proof of Identity
Jul 01, 2010
Researchers from the University of Granada have shown that there is sufficient dental diversity between people to use dental patterns as proof of identity with the same degree of reliability as DNA testing.
Complex Forensic Work Solves Two Portland Homicides
Jul 01, 2010
Bullets recovered from two Portland, Oregon homicide victims were distinctive and seemed to match, setting in motion one of the most complex forensic investigations by the state crime lab.
Crime Scene Investigation Symposium
Jul 01, 2010
The Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (MAFS) and the Midwest Forensic Resource Center (MFRC) will co-sponsor a symposium on Crime Scene Investigation at the upcoming MAFS fall meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The three-day symposium will begin October 4, 2010.
2010 National CSI Camp
Jul 01, 2010
The Center for Advanced Technical Law Enforcement Training, Inc. will be presenting the National C.S.I. Camp at Lake of the Ozarks from October 24-29, 2010. This camp provides Crime Scene Investigators with more than 240 hours of basic, intermediate, and advanced investigative clinics.
