THE CRIME LAB MINUTE

October 22, 2007

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Announcement

The second portion of "When Forensics Fail," a two-part series airs on Thursday, October 25th on MSNBC. The program looks at criminal cases in which forensic errors lead to wrongful convictions. According to MSNBC, in many cases of wrongful convictions, human error is to blame, but in others it's unreliable science; recent discoveries are beginning to undermine forensic procedures that were once considered foolproof. Please check your local listings to confirm dates and times.

Crime lab advocate and famed author, Jan Burke, is compiling a list of current state ballot initiatives that are aimed at helping crime laboratories. If you know of any such initiatives that are facing a vote in November, please send the information to Jan at jan@janburke.com as soon as possible. Her goal is to spark media reporting about these initiatves, but your assistance is needed.

Materials from the 2007 ASCLD Symposium in Orlando are being posted on the symposium page at the ASCLD website.

Stephanie Karczynski, graduate student in the Forensic Science program at Virginia Commonwealth University, is presented the ASCLD 2007 scholarship award by Amy Wong, Northern Laboratory Director, Virginia Department of Forensic Science.

Forensic Science in the News

Texas

Regional crime lab funding bill passes Senate

A regional crime laboratory that would serve law enforcement agencies within a 75-mile radius of Huntsville is closer to becoming reality.

Illinois

State police lauded for saving evidence
The nation's top cops have bestowed a prestigious award upon the Illinois State Police employees who helped solve a fourteen year old murder case.

Washington

Forensics Council asked to perform independent investigation

Representatives of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers urged the Council to examine problems stemming from allegations about the operation of the state’s toxicology laboratory.

Michigan

Science Casts Doubt On Famous British Murder Case
Ninety-seven years after an American was hanged in London in one of the most notorious and famous murder cases in British history, forensic science at Michigan State University is producing evidence that his execution was a mistake.

Texas

Panel will review 180 HPD crime lab cases
Days after the release of a man wrongfully convicted on faulty forensics, Harris County criminal district judges are poised to appoint a panel to review 180 cases with problematic Houston crime lab evidence, ending a dispute about how to scrutinize those cases.

New Zealand

Advances mean 'every crime will be solved'
"Staggering" advances in DNA testing will make it impossible for a criminal to strike without being detected, a top crime-fighting scientist says.

Minnesota

DNA may have solved Minneapolis rape cases
The BCA lab is linking DNA profiles to suspects. One of the latest hits may have solved two Minneapolis rape cases - one dating back nearly a decade.