General Announcements

ASCLD Members:

I know you are all getting back into the swing of things after the ASCLD meeting last week.  There is always emails, phone calls and meetings to catch up on.  I traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico last week to the Association of Forensic Quality Assurance Managers (AFQAM) meeting to give an ASCLD and Legislative Update presentation.  This week, the new ASCLD Board will have their first official board meeting via teleconference. I look forward to forming committees and planning the future of ASCLD with this new board.

Have a great week,

Jill Spriggs
ASCLD President

News around the globe

Douglas County CSI tries to restore reputation
Nebraska
After an evidence tampering scandal came to a head last year at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, the crime scene investigation unit with has been struggling to rebuild its reputation.

CSI: PCR-free techniques ID the most active microbes on the scene
United States
Now, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have overcome those problems with the development of PCR-free technology that is based on Berkeley Lab's award-winning, high-density DNA-based microarray known as the PhyloChip.

Warnex Obtains Funding From Federal Government for Forensic Mitochondrial DNA Testing
MarketWatch (press release)
Warnex Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, Warnex PRO-DNA Services, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has signed a Contribution Agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to develop a pre-screening method for forensic mitochondrial DNA testing.

UNH Botanist Tracks Marijuana DNA
Connecticut
A University of New Haven forensic scientist is setting up a national databank for marijuana DNA that will permit law enforcement to track where the drug originated when an arrest is made.

Law enforcement needs to get smart about collecting digital evidence, says forensic analyst
ComputerWeekly.com
The time has come to empower frontline law enforcement officers to make better decisions when seizing digital evidence, says forensic analyst Andrew Sheldon.

Lausanne academic wins forensic science award
Switzerland
The American Academy of Forensic Science awarded Margot the Douglas M. Lucas medal for outstanding international contributions to forensic science.

Crime lab reopens after Irene damage repaired
Vermont
The Vermont Forensic Lab reopened Wednesday, a month after Tropical Storm Irene knocked out power at the Waterbury facility.

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Science Manual for Judges Updated
Law.com
A new guidebook for judges and legal professionals, the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, became available Wednesday, replacing the previous edition published in 2000.

Journal articles (titles are hyperlinked):

Method to predict the chance of developing a male profile out of mixtures of male and female DNA

PJ Laberke, R Grossenbacher, R Hausmann and B Balitzki

International Journal of Legal Medicine

DOI: 10.1007/s00414-011-0615-0

Effects of humic acid on DNA quantification with Quantifiler® Human DNA Quantification kit and short tandem repeat amplification efficiency

SB Seo, HY Lee, AH Zhang, HY Kim, DH Shin and SD Lee

International Journal of Legal Medicine

DOI: 10.1007/s00414-011-0616-z

The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) Symposium 2012 A Discipline Specific Session–Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

B McCance… - 2011 IABPA Officers
Journal of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 42 Vol. 27, No. 3. September 2011 The Australian and
New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) Symposium 2012 A Discipline Specific
Session–Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.

Hanson, E., Maybruck, J. L., Ballantyne, J. and Fuerst, P. A. (2011), Performance Evaluation and Optimization of Multiplex PCRs for the Highly Discriminating OSU 10‐Locus Set Y‐STRs

Journal of Forensic Sciences. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01910.x

 NY group tells AP it has enlisted school’s help to count number of untested rape kits in US

New York

A recently formed organization that contends there is a nationwide backlog of untested rape kits told The Associated Press on Monday that it was teaming with a New York university to try to figure out how many are sitting on police department shelves as a first step in clearing the logjam.

Reference Guide:

Law 101:  A Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert, produced by the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law (NCSTL, www.ncstl.org), went live in August.  It is free and it is located at: https://law101.dna.gov    Anyone serving as an expert witness will benefit from learning the legal procedures, expectations, and principles presented in this course.  There is a text version of the course which is located at: https://law101.dna.gov/rawmedia_repository/9af62ee8_fd43_4041_b977_1982154535cf?document.pdf

Training:

Trace Evidence Symposium sessions to be streamed live online

Can’t get to the 2011 Trace Evidence Symposium?  Major portions of this event will be available at no charge via online streaming.

West Virginia University  

Forensic and Investigative Sciences

Continuing Education Training Courses

Scheduled classes at WVU (2011):

· Tuesday Sept. 20-Thurs. Sept. 22: Estimating Uncertainty

· Tuesday Sept. 27-Thurs. Sept. 29: Statistics Review

· Tuesday Oct. 4-Wed. Oct. 5: Method validation

· Tuesday Dec. 6-Thurs. Dec. 8: Estimating Uncertainty

· Tuesday Dec. 13-Thurs. Dec. 15: Statistics Review

· Tuesday Dec. 20-Wed. Dec 21: Method validation

2012 Schedule will be finalized in December. Tentatively, course blocks are anticipated for mid-March, mid-May, mid-July, and in fall as above.

WVU Point of Contact: Dr. Suzanne Bell, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Bennett Department of Chemistry/Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program. 304-293-8606 (office); 304-906-5400 (cell). Email: Suzanne.Bell@mail.wvu.edu.  Alternative contact: Ms. Lori Britton, Program Administrative Assistant, 304-293-2578.

Conferences:

Society for Wildlife Forensic Science

http://www.wildlifeforensicscience.org
21 - 25 May 2012 - 1st Triennial Meeting Society for Wildlife Forensic
Science, Jackson Hole, WY.
For more information please contact Ms. Doina_Voin@fws.gov

23-27 September 2012 - 21st International Symposium of Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia http://www.anzfss2012.com.au/. For more information contact Anna Boyes Conference Design Pty Ltd 228 Liverpool St Hobart TAS 7000 w: www.cdesign.com.au e: anna@cdesign.com.au p: 03 6231 2999 f: 03 6231 1522  

Vendor Announcements

Stantec, founded in 1954, provides professional consulting services in architecture, engineering, interior design, planning, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects. We support public and private sector clients in a diverse range of markets at every stage, from the initial conceptualization and financial feasibility study to project completion and beyond. Our services are provided on projects around the world through approximately 11,000 employees operating out of more than 170 locations in North America and 4 locations internationally. 

Stantec’s forensic laboratory planning experts have gained a wealth of knowledge while involved in all phases of the design and construction of forensic science facilities. While working closely with our clients our goal is to provide the design for spaces and facilities that are high performance, secure, fiscally responsible and forward thinking to meet the unique needs of the ever changing forensic sciences.

Stantec is One Team providing Infinite Solutions.

 Crime Scene Virtual Tour 3.00 

A distinctive virtual reality solution for CSI, forensic analysis and court presentation -- Crime Scene Virtual Tour 3.00. Based on 360 degree panoramas and providing 3D measurement feature, CSVT gives an easy way to reconstruct a 3D crime scene through photos and offers unparalleled features to crime scene investigators and forensic experts, which takes them back to the crime scenes and enables them to wander through the scene.

The University of Florida’s Online Forensic Science Program

The University of Florida’s award-winning Forensic Science Master’s Degree is the world’s largest and most prestigious forensic science program. The program is designed to meet the FBI National Standards education requirements for DNA technical leaders and DNA supervisors. Coursework is designed for working professionals, and the courses are taught entirely online. Students interact with instructors and students via email, discussion boards, and live chat.

The online forensics program offers seven graduate certificates and five master’s degree specializations:

MS in Forensic Science

MS in Forensic Toxicology

MS in Forensic Drug Chemistry

MS in Forensic DNA & Serology

PSM in Forensic Science

Now entering its 11th year, the University of Florida’s Forensic MS program has earned the Award of Excellence Winner in Distance Education from the American Distance Education Consortium in 2006, and Program Director, Dr. Ian Tebbett, Ph.D., was awarded the 2010 Outstanding Leadership Award by the U.S. Distance Learning Association.

The University of Florida is the fourth largest academic institution in the country and is accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the even more prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

Learn more at http://www.forensicscience.ufl.edu/.

The Ultimate in Fast, Sensitive GCMS Performance

Featuring best-in-class scan speed and sensitivity, Shimadzu’s GCMS-QP2010 Ultra enables faster, more efficient analysis of toxicological substances.  Patented Advanced Scanning Speed Protocol enables acquisition speeds of 20,000 u/sec while a 500:1 S/N in EI mode enables low-level detection of compounds in complex matrices. This makes the Ultra ideal for Fast GC or comprehensive GC/MS (GCxGCMSq) analyses.

A number of functions contribute to enhanced productivity in the lab. These include rapid GC oven cool-down—from 350˚ to 50˚ in 2.7 minutes; new Twin-Line MS System, which eliminates the need to swap columns; and Easy sTop quick changer system, which allows the septum and liner to be changed without breaking the vacuum.

A forensic toxicology screening system accelerates identification of abused drugs and detection/semi-quantitation of compounds.

Learn more at www.ssi.shimadzu.com/ASCLD

Sponsors

Employment Opportunities

Forensic Specialist I , Montgomery County Police Department, Rockville, Maryland

Forensic Scientist II, Forensic Scientist III, Forensic Scientist IV,& Forensic Science Section Supervisor,  Phoenix Police Department Laboratory Services Bureau,  Phoenix, AZ

Forensic Science Technician, West Virginia University Research Corporation,  Morgantown, WV

Section Supervisor Controlled Substances Section, Virginia Department of Forensic Science, Northern Regional Laboratory, Manassas, VA

FORENSIC SCIENTIST LATENT PRINT TRAINEE, DuPage County Forensic Science Center, Wheaton, IL

Forensic Scientist, City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque Police Department,  Albuquerque, NM

Forensic Chemistry Faculty Position, Forensic and Investigative Sciences (FIS) Program at Indiana University Purdue University,  Indianapolis, IN

Administrative Manager II/Assistant Director, Orange County Crime Laboratory, Santa Ana, CA

Crime Laboratory Director, DuPage County Crime Laboratory, Wheaton, IL

Latent Print Section Supervisor, Austin Police Department, Austin, TX

Forensic Scientist in the Breath Alcohol Section, Virginia Department of Forensic Science,  Richmond, VA

Senior DNA Analyst,  New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans, LA

RESEARCH ANALYST, CHEMISTRY PROGRAMS, Virginia Department of Forensic Science Division of Technical Services,  Richmond, VA

Division Director, Forensic Science (Lab Director), Kern County District Attorney's Office, Bakersfield CA

Autopsy Assistant III , FORENSIC EVIDENCE MANAGER , FORENSIC LABORATORY AIDE , FORENSIC MANAGEMENT ANALYST , FORENSIC PATHOLOGY FELLOW , Harris County Institute Of Forensic Science, Houston, TX

FORENSIC SCIENTIST III (DNA Examiner), Metropolitan Police Department, Investigative Services Bureau, Consolidated Forensics Laboratory, District of Columbia

Crime Lab Office Manager (Justice Supervisor), Wisconsin Department of Justice, Madison, WI

Director of Forensic Studies Tenure Track (Open Rank) Professor, University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Lead Analyst – overseas assignment, Lab Analyst – overseas assignment,  Orchid Cellmark Inc., Overseas location/Virginia

Laboratory Services Manager,  El Paso Police Department Crime Laboratory, El Paso, TX

Criminalist II-Latent Print Unit, Scottsdale Police Department Crime Laboratory,  Scottsdale, AZ

Forensic DNA analyst, Sorenson Forensics, Salt Lake City, UT