The Crime Lab Minute
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General Announcements
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule Super Shuttle for Hotel / Airport Transit (Group Flyer) PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE AN E-MAIL CONFIRMATION WHEN YOU REGISTER ON-LINE IT MEANS YOUR REGISTRATION DID NOT GO THROUGH. PLEASE CONTACT CINDY AT office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044 Quick LinksNFSTC in partnership with National Institute of Justice (NIJ)is pleased to announce that this training will be provided at no cost to eligible applicants.
August 2-6 and 9-13, 2010 at Suffolk University in Boston.
News around the globe
Use of familial DNA searches in Va. debated
Virginia Forensic scientists working on unsolved Virginia crimes are not using a proven -- if still controversial -- investigative tool that can crack the toughest and deadliest of cases. Despite spending millions rebuilding the Houston Police Department's troubled DNA lab, the department still cannot keep up with daily requests to test evidence gathered at crime scenes.
Brain Scan Lie Detection
Policy Innovations A woman in India was found guilty of murder due to brain scan evidence in June 2008, becoming the first person ever convicted in this manner. Forensic science braces for change
Nature.com FBI laboratory chief is optimistic despite severe criticism and challenges ahead. Indiana
When an offender says “It’s not mine” or “I didn’t touch it” regarding illegal drugs, weapons or other contraband found at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, a new investigative tool can reveal the truth. Law Technology News
While the right of confrontation was intended to address human witnesses, defendants are facing evidence drawn from computer-generated sources.
PEOPLE v. WISE
California Court of Appeals Did the trial court violate his right to confront the witnesses against him when it allowed a lead criminalist to testify regarding test reports that the seized evidence was cocaine base, because the criminalist did not personally perform the laboratory test? |
Sponsors Employment OpportunitiesCrime Laboratory ManagerDouglas County Sheriffs DepartmentOmaha NE Police, Forensics, Correction and Border Security ExpertsManagement Systems International Senior International Criminal Justice Program ManagerManagement Systems International Latent Print Examiner IBaltimore County Police DepartmentTowson MD Latent Print Examiner IIBaltimore County Police DepartmentTowson MD Forensic SerologistHouston Police DepartmentHouston TX Forensic Science SupervisorCity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IVCity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IIICity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IICity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ |
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General Announcements
AUGUST 1st DEADLINE FOR BRIGGS WHITE AWARD NOMINATIONS (link below)
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule Nominations for the Briggs White Award are due by August 1.
Quick LinksAugust 2-6 and 9-13, 2010 at Suffolk University in Boston
News around the globe
Law-enforcement experts said iPhone technology records a wealth of information that can be tapped more easily than BlackBerry and Android devices to help police learn where you've been, what you were doing there and whether you've got something to hide.
Forensic Experts Identify Grim Sleeper Serial Killer Suspect Through ...
California In less than two years, a new and controversial DNA searching program launched by Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. has proven its worth by nabbing a man suspected of being the “Grim Sleeper” who carried out the murders of at least 10 women in the Los Angeles area over the past 25 years. NM agency taking over DNA testing for database
New Mexico The Department of Public Safety says it plans to speed up the availability to law enforcement of DNA information about crime suspects by taking over DNA analysis for a statewide database. The key break in the investigation, intermittently conducted over 25 years, came when investigators found a close — but not perfect — match between the DNA recovered at multiple crime scenes and a man being held in a California prison.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office will work with Mexican government on unsolved cases
California The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has a new partnership with the Mexican government that will utilize forensic science in an effort to match names to some of the 40 cases involving unidentified human remains and missing people in the county. Fearing that youngsters may learn how to eliminate evidence after committing a crime, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina has banned student visits organized by colleges and schools in the city.
Can the database NamUs help find Tabitha Tuders?
United States The National Missing and Unidentified Person System, or NamUS, is the new technological tool for solving missing persons cases in the United States. United States
Last summer, the FDA issued draft guidance entitled "Incorporation of Physical-Chemical Identifiers (PCIDs) into Solid Oral Dosage Form Drug Products for Anti-Counterfeiting.” Ohio
Upgrades to Montgomery County’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System will enable law enforcement to rapidly identify and create digital records of suspects in the field using new mobile technology.
Arkansas considering statewide ban of K-2
Arkansas The Arkansas State Board of Health will consider a proposal to ban the sale of K-2, a synthetic marijuana product that is currently being sold legally in many parts of the state, because no existing state or federal law prevents its sale or use. MSU will study time needed to clear backlog of unprocessed rape test kits
Michigan A Michigan State University study may hold the key to processing 10,500 rape evidence kits never analyzed by the now-defunct Detroit Police crime laboratory and could lead to prosecution of hundreds, possibly thousands, of rapists. Revealing fake money Highlights in Chemical Science A simple and fast technique to examine the surface of banknotes and identify counterfeits has been developed by scientists in Brazil and the US.
West Virginia
The Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence was started to serve as a resource to deal with digital evidence in both civil and criminal litigation.
Anthony Doesburg: Crime sleuths separate forensics
New Zealand Forensic Science International, a journal read by real crime scene investigators, has published a paper by United States researcher Evan Durnal that highlights the TV myths |
Sponsors
Employment OpportunitiesLatent Print Examiner IBaltimore County Police DepartmentTowson MD Latent Print Examiner IIBaltimore County Police DepartmentTowson MD Forensic SerologistHouston Police DepartmentHouston TX Forensic Science SupervisorCity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IVCity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IIICity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ Forensic Scientist IICity of PhoenixPhoenix AZ ManagerWashington State Patrol Crime Laboratory DivisionMarysville WA Latent Print Examiner I, II, III, SeniorOnondaga County Center for Forensic SciencesSyracuse NY Criminalist IIBroward County Sheriff's OfficeFort Lauderdale FL Toxicology Laboratory Manager Washington State PatrolSeattle WA Crime Scene SpecialistCity of Durham Police DepartmentDurham NC Forensic AssociateBlack Bag TechnologiesSan Jose CA DNA Technical LeaderYork CountyYork SC |
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General Announcements
ASCLD SYMPOSIUM 2010
An Event You Can’t Afford to Miss
The 38th Annual Symposium of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors is just around the corner so now is the time to commit to participating in this year’s event. The workshops are scheduled and the program is being finalized.
So far, 2010 has been a year of significant contrasts. The economy is poor, so government budgets are tight but there is unprecedented attention on forensic science. Resources are limited but demand for the completion of more cases, of the highest quality, has never been greater. It is a time of significant challenges but also a time with numerous opportunities. Your job and responsibilities as a crime laboratory leader have never been more demanding or more complex. It is because of the complexity of your job and the extent of your responsibilities that you can’t afford to miss out on the opportunities ASCLD provides at its annual symposia. To help you navigate the complex world of forensic science, this year’s symposium offers:
Advocacy: ASCLD is taking a leadership role to influence the future of forensic science by becoming actively involved in state and federal legislation. By attending the symposium you will learn about Forensic Science on Capital Hill, including forensic science legislation and the activities of the NSTC Subcommittee on Forensic Science and the Interagency Working Groups.
Communication: By attending the symposium you can learn Communication Skills and Strategies for Professionals, interact with and learn from other forensic science leaders, and network with our profession’s stakeholders.
Collaboration: ASCLD cannot effectively work for you by working alone. By attending the symposium you will hear from our strategic partners and stakeholders and learn how we help ourselves by working collaboratively with others.
Executive Training: By attending the symposium you will improve your skills as a leader through presentations on laboratory best practices, improving efficiencies, accreditation issues, and dealing with looming challenges.
Strategic Planning: ASCLD is planning for the future. By attending the seminar you can participate in shaping the future direction of our profession by sharing your thoughts and ideas.
To register for this year’s symposium, go to www.ascld.org, it has never been easier.
I look forward to seeing you all in Baltimore in September. Greg Matheson
ASCLD President-Elect
Quick Links Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule
BRIGGS WHITE NOMINATIONS DUE BY AUGUST 1, 2010
Nominations for the Briggs White Award are due by August 1.
August 2-6 and 9-13, 2010 at Suffolk University in Boston
News around the globe
Over the years, police have blamed their failure to carry out investigations on lack of a forensic laboratory.
Florida
The DFCB offers Digital Forensics Certified Practitioner (DFCP) and Digital Forensics Certified Associate (DFCA) designations from its independent, community-driven organization. Ecstasy 'disappearing' from British clubs
UK Almost all of the tablets seized by police are now testing negative for the active chemical in ecstasy, MDMA. Rank-and-file gardai are to become drug analysts under new plans to cut a large backlog of substance tests at the Forensic Science Laboratory.
San Francisco DNA lab chief resigns
California The manager of the San Francisco Police Department's backlogged DNA laboratory has resigned. CHARLES v. STATE
Court of Appeals of Maryland Court was asked to consider whether the Petitioners are entitled to a new trial because the judge who presided over their joint trial propounded a question during voir dire asking whether the jury could not "convict" them without "scientific evidence."
STATE v. CALLEIA
Superior Court of New Jersey Trial court correctly admitted Y-STR DNA evidence and the trial court thus correctly admitted the testimony of the State's expert witness. PEOPLE v. BRADLEY
Court of Appeals of California Pursuant to the California Supreme Court's instructions, case was reconsidered in light of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts (2009). |
Employment OpportunitiesDNA Technical LeaderYork CountyYork SC Consultant United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimePanama, Paraguay, and Columbia Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque NM DNA Casework AnalystAlaska Scientific Detection LaboratoryAnchorage AK Laboratory ManagerDNA SolutionsMelbourne Australia Forensic Drug ChemistMontgomery County Police Crime LaboratoryRockville MD Forensic Serologist/DNA (Biology)Montgomery County Police Crime LaboratoryRockville MD Quality ManagerMontgomery County Police Crime LaboratoryRockville MD |
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General Announcements2010 Membership Drive The deadline is quickly approaching for all applications for ASCLD membership. All applications and supporting materials must be received by July 1 in order for the applicant to be voted in at this year's annual symposium. We currently have 63 new Regular Member Applications which is 37 short of our goal of 100 new members. If you know of any manager/supervisor who would be eligible for membership but has not yet applied, please encourage them to join and submit their application before the deadline. With all of the activity going on in Forensics, now is an excellent time to become a member of an organization that represents the needs and issues in the Forensic Laboratory. We have members currently representing us in providing input on legislative decisions being made as a result of the NAS report. ASCLD members are also providing insight into issues and legislation regarding sexual assault kits and analysis. ASCLD continues to promote funding for crime laboratories and capacity building. There are several areas where members can become actively involved including advocacy, membership, bylaws of the organization and planning of the annual symposium to name a few. The annual symposium continues to provide training and up-to-date information on management and forensic issues as well as a venue to interact with other laboratory managers. The contacts and information that can be obtained from these interactions is invaluable. Application information and the application can be found here http://ascld.org/content/about-ascld. If you have any questions, please contact Jean_Stover@isp.state.il.us, 309-284-6500. Thank you. Jean Stover
Quick LinksAugust 2-6 and 9-13, 2010 at Suffolk University in Boston.
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule News around the globe
SCIENCE NEWS
Washington Post Church that doubted his solar theory reburies Copernicus in a hero's tomb. Thirteen years later, an arson case begins to unravel
Los Angeles Times Scientists say investigators concluded the blaze was arson based on assumptions now known to be false. FBI and Savannah River National Laboratory Put Science to Work to Protect the Nation
Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) today announced the opening of a major expansion of the FBI’s facilities for the forensic examination of radiological material and associated evidence.
Illinois
Jason Whitaker insisted the truck he drove wasn’t his and neither was the record stash of methamphetamine he hadn’t noticed inside the cab.
New crime lab will speed up processing Texas |
Sponsors
Employment OpportunitiesLaboratory System Quality SpecialistPennsylvania State Police Police ID SupervisorWinston-Salem Police DepartmentWinston-Salem NC Criminalist IICity of ChandlerChandler AZ
Senior Forensic Scientist/Forensic Scientist IIIOrange County District Attorney's OfficeSanta Ana CA Forensic Examiner Senior-Latent PrintNational Security and Emergency ManagementQuantico VA Forensic Chemist III Breath/Blood AlcoholAlaska Scientific Detection LaboratoryAnchorage AK Crime Laboratory DirectorDuPage CountyWheaton IL
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General AnnouncementsNew membership applications are due by July 1st. jean_stover@isp.state.il.us;
If you have questions regarding membership, contact Ph.# 3092846500 Quick Links
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule Super Shuttle for Hotel / Airport Transit (Group Flyer) News around the globe
The crime lab needs accreditation
Guam This Guam Forensic Forum discusses the findings of the National Academy of Science and the need to push forward for crime lab enhancements and accreditation. Illinois
An audit will explore the pros and cons of abolishing the elected coroner’s position and appointing either a coroner or a medical examiner.
Putting teeth into forensic science
California Livermore researcher Bruce Buchholz and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute are looking at victim's teeth to determine how old they are at the time of death. Forensic Science Moves Beyond Chemistry Of The Print
Pennsylvania For a long time forensic science techniques have relied on the chemistry of the print to record the topography of traces left at a crime scene. |
Employment OpportunitiesSenior Forensic Scientist/Forensic Scientist IIIOrange County District Attorney's OfficeSanta Ana CA Forensic Chemist III Breath/Blood AlcoholAlaska Scientific Detection LaboratoryAnchorage AK Forensic Examiner Senior-Latent PrintNational Security and Emergency ManagementQuantico VA Senior Research Forensic ScientistRTI International Crime Laboratory DirectorDuPage CountyWheaton IL Business AnalystTeksystemsReston VA Forensic Mentor/Laboratory Advisor-Iraq National Forensic ProgramDynCorp InternationalIraq
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General AnnouncementsReminder that applications for new members is due to ASCLD by July 01, 2010..
The ASCLD Advocacy Committee is hard at work monitoring several forensic lab issues on a National level and input is needed from the membership. Please contact your regions advocacy representative for additional information on the topics being proposed to the forensic community. If there was ever a time to get involved, the time is now!
Director David Barron is chair of the Advocacy Committee ( david.barron@dfs.virginia.gov ) The following regional delegates have been assigned to the committee and serve as points of contact from their geographical locations. ASCLD Advocacy Points of Contact:
NE region 1: MA, NH, VT, ME, RI, CT /Dennis Hilliard, RI email: dch@uri.edu
NE region 2: MD, PA, DE, NJ, NY / Irv Litofsky, MD email: ilitofsky@baltimorecountymd.gov
SE region 1: FL, GA, MS, AL, LA, NC/ George Herrin, GA email: George.herrin@gbi.ga.gov
SE region 2: AR, WV, TN, KY, SC, VA/ Soraya McClung, WV email: smcclung@wvsp.state.wv.us
NW region 1: WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, AK/ Randy Wampler, OR email: randy.wampler@state.or.us
SW region 1: CA, UT, NV, CO, HI/ Jill Spriggs, CA jill.spriggs@doj.ca.gov
SW region 2: AZ, NM, OK, TX/ Nancy Crump, AZ email: nancy.crump@phoenix.gov
MW region 1: MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN/ Kit Maloney, MI email: maloneyk@michigan.gov
MW region 2: ND, SD, NE, KS, IA, MO /Bill Marbaker, MO email: bill.marbaker@mshp.dps.mo.gov
Private Crime Labs: Tim Kupferschmid (Sorenson Forensics) email: tkupfers@sorensongenomics.com and Sue Narveson (Strand) email: snarveson@strandlabs.com
Quick Links
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule
News around the globe
DNA evidence in 25-year-old conviction points to possible perpetrator
Wisconsin DNA testing that helped free Robert Lee Stinson in 2009 has identified a possible perpetrator of the crime for which Stinson served 23 years of wrongful incarceration. Biomatrica Launches New Partnership Program - Biomatrica Connect(TM)
PR Newswire (press release) Biomatrica, Inc. announced the launch of Biomatrica Connect™, a solution-centric partnership program established with industry and academia to advance technologies for ambient room temperature storage and management of nucleic acids. Colorado
A crime lab uses the productivity tools that come with Microsoft Office 2010.
Crime lab could be reopened
Georgia With money restored to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime laboratory in Moultrie, the facility could be renovated and reopened in the next budget year. DA's office to perform blood testing
Pennsylvania The Bucks County District Attorney's Office will hire a forensic toxicologist and an assistant to perform in-house testing of blood samples in DUI and drug cases. The Washoe County Crime Laboratory has begun a pilot program in which DNA samples of convicted offenders are tested monthly at a private lab, an effort to curb large DNA backlogs and solve crimes quicker.
New York
A technician in the NYPD's forensics lab has been suspended for allegedly falsifying drug-test results.
Real Life CSI: Inside KSP's Frankfort Crime Lab
Kentucky Frankfort's Kentucky State Police Crime Laboratory has everything from guns, to drugs, to DNA. |
Employment OpportunitiesBusiness AnalystTeksystemsReston VAForensic Mentor/Laboratory Advisor-Iraq National Forensic ProgramDynCorp InternationalIraq |
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General AnnouncementsKICK-OFF notice for the ASCLD Forensic Service Provider Initiative : This is the first effort of its kind, without the assistance of the federal goverment, to collect important information from the forensic community. The goal is to identify all crime labs and forensic units in the nation between May 3, and July 31, 2010. Forensic reform legislation will likely be passed this summer as a result of the recently released NAS report "Strengthing Forensic Science in the United States:A Path Forward". The data collected in this initiative will arm us with the knowledge we need to estimate the costs associated with comprehensive forensic reform, to improve our strategic planning processes, and to increase our outreach efforts to strengthen public safety missions and goals around the world. Thank-you in advance to all who participate in making this initiative a success. (If you have not been contacted and would like additional information, please contact your regional ASCLD advocacy representative http://ascld.org/content/outreach )
LABORATORY DATA SECURITY ISSUE ALERT- How are copies disposed of.... watch this video at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6412572n
ASCLD/LAB is announcing an ASCLD/LAB-International Preparation Course scheduled for September 27-29, 2010 in Columbus, OH. The informational document and registration form are posted at www.ascld-lab.org > Training.
Quick Links
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule
President Greene is requesting your comments on forensic reform legislation that is nearing introduction in Congress. We have a unique opportunity to review the attached outline and provide comments, which will be reviewed by the CFSO. Our laboratories will be greatly affected by this legislation so we are encouraging our members to get involved if they can.
Please click this link http://forensicreform.questionpro.com to review the outline and submit your comments.
News around the globe
The CSI Effect: How TV Influences True Crime
Discovery News Experts are finding that TV crime dramas are having an increasing influence on juries India to set up DNA data banks
India India will set up several DNA data banks at the national and state levels to strengthen forensic investigation. Wisconsin Eliminates DNA Backlog
Wisconsin The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory has succeeded in eliminating its DNA backlog by hiring 31 new DNA analysts and implementing new technology. |
Employment OpportunitiesForensic Mentor/Laboratory Advisor-Iraq National Forensic ProgramDynCorp InternationalIraq Supervising Forensic Scientist Tech-0New Mexico Department of Public SafetySante Fe NM Criminalist IICity of ChandlerChandler AZ Senior ScientistResearch and Productivity CouncilFredericton NB Criminalist II Firearms ExaminerRhode Island State Crime LaboratoryKingston RI
Forensic ChemistCity of ValdostaVadosta GA Serologist/DNA AnalystHamilton County Coroner's LaboratoryCincinnati OH Senior Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque NM |
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General Announcements
Dear ASCLD Members:
The purpose of this message is to give you all a brief update on three major advocacy initiatives that President Greene and our Board of Directors are actively supporting and monitoring:
1. Chairman Pete Marone and the CFSO have made tremendous strides to influence the forensic reform legislation that is nearing introduction in Congress. This will have a major affect on all of our laboratories. Many ASCLD members around the country have assisted in this effort. Our Board of Directors is working closely with CFSO to ensure that the interests of our crime laboratories are protected and advanced.
2. ASCLD's letter writing campaign to support the ASCLD position statement on building public laboratory capacity has been an unprecedented success. We will be discussing this initiative at our symposium in September. Several of our ASCLD members throughout the country joined this campaign to make it as successful as it was. Our letters have made their way into congressional offices across the country. We continue to request letters and ask those members that have written letters to follow up with staffers to ask for a meeting or telephone conference to educate them on our issues. If you need contact emails or assistance of any kind, please contact me.
3. ASCLD and ASCLD/LAB, along with its CFSO partners has developed a Forensic Service Provider survey to measure the number of forensic service providers that exist in the United States. This number and the associated data will be compiled and used to create appropriate funding recommendations.
Finally, President Beth Greene (Florida) and President-Elect Greg Matheson (California) will be representing ASCLD in future CFSO activities. It was decided that ASCLD representation on the CFSO, at this time, should be managed by the ASCLD President. You all will be updated on our CFSO progress in the coming months.
Thank you for your attention and support of ASCLD, and don't forget to register for the symposium. It is a meeting that you will not want to miss!
------------------------------------------------------- Quick Links
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule News around the globe
Mandatory rape kit tests pushed
Illinois Delays in reporting crimes, expense and prosecutorial decisions mean many are never processed. Oregon
Newly formed in November 2009, the Society for Wildlife Forensic Sciences' goal is to help develop wildlife forensics into a mature discipline with commonly accepted procedures — procedures that will stand up in court. PEOPLE v. DEFROE
California Was the defendant’s constitutional right of confrontation violated?
Minnesota
In a prosecution for possession of a controlled substance, may the state ever establish probable cause based on evidence of a field test of a substance alleged to be a controlled substance, without evidence of a confirmatory test of the substance?
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Employment OpportunitiesCriminalist IIChandler Police DepartmentChandler AZ Criminalist II Firearms ExaminerRhode Island State Crime LaboratoryKingston RI Forensic ChemistCity of ValdostaVadosta GA Senior Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque NM Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque Criminalist IISan Bernandino CountySan Bernadino CA Serologist/DNA AnalystHamilton County Coroner's LaboratoryCincinnati OH Forensic Scientist IV-Quality AssuranceState of AlaskaAnchorage AK |
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General Announcements
Below please find all of the forms and information you will need to register for this year's symposium in Baltimore. If you have any problems with the online registration, please contact Cindy at office@ascld.org or by phone at 919-773-2044. General Symposium and Workshop Registration Announcement and Workshop Schedule Super Shuttle for Hotel / Airport Transit (Group Flyer)
Quick LinksThis program offers an excellent overview of forensic science,law,and medicine.
News around the globe
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala), today sent a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller expressing his concern regarding recently announced procedural changes relating to the technical review of DNA data contained within the National DNA Index System (NDIS).
National DNA review a good idea
Australia At last, there are some real moves afoot to improve the quality of the DNA evidence that is sometimes the only evidence supporting criminal convictions. Plan mooted for forensic labs
South Africa The Democratic Alliance on Thursday proposed a five-point plan to "fix" the SA Police Service's (Saps) forensic science laboratories and the health department's forensic chemistry laboratories.
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Sponsors
Employment OpportunitiesForensic Scientist IV-Quality AssuranceState of AlaskaAnchorage AK Senior Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque NM Criminalist-toxicologyScottsdale Police Department Crime LaboratoryScottsdale AZ Forensic ScientistCity of AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque NM Crime Scene Section SupervisorPhoenix Police Deparment LaboratoryPhoenix AZ Forensic Pathologist III/IVRiverside County Sheriff-CoronerRiverside CA |
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General Announcements
Registration for the 2010 ASCLD Symposium is now open. Be sure to get your workshop registrations in before the workshops are full!
Quick LinksThe Briggs J White Award is presented each year at the annual symposium to recognize an ASCLD member, past or present, who has demonstrated managerial excellence in forensic science. It's time to start thinking about who you would like to nominate for this years award. (Nomination deadline seems like months away, but it will be here before we know it) Nominations for the Briggs White Award are due by August 1.
News around the globe
Does the United States Supreme Court's determination in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts (2009) 557 U.S. ___ [129 S.Ct. 2527] (Melendez-Diaz), alter the California rule established in People v. Geier (2007) 41 Cal.4th 555, 596-607 (Geier)?
Florida
Funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice, a research team from Florida International University is analyzing how laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used in crime labs.
But it Works on TV!
Newsweek According to the Innocence Project, of the 252 DNA exonerations since 1989, half the convictions were based at least partly on "unvalidated or improper forensic science." SF crime lab scandal strains justice system
California Authorities are trying to salvage some cases by having drugs retested at other labs; they also may refile some of the dropped cases. Forensic science in the dock
Australia An independent DNA consultant has built a career by finding flaws in the test results some of these laboratories have provided for the justice system. Blood, Urine Testing Breakthrough
Canada The new test “has high power of discrimination and reproducibility with high accuracy and precision, and is the first in the horse racing industry specifically designed for racehorse identification and detection of equine sample contamination by human DNA.” Forensic Magazine
New laws are increasing DNA caseloads, but recent and upcoming technology is helping to close the gap and improve the quality of forensic DNA testing and analysis.
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Sponsors
Employment OpportunitiesCriminalist-toxicologyScottsdale Police Department Crime LaboratoryScottsdale AZ Director of the Forensic Science DivisionMichigan State PoliceLansing MI Crime Scene Section SupervisorPhoenix Police Deparment LaboratoryPhoenix AZ Crime Scene TechnicianDavenport Police DepartmentDavenport IA Quality Assurance Specialist III-IVTexas Department of Public SafetyAustin TX Crime Lab DirectorOrange County Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau DirectorWashington State Patrol Crime Laboratory DivisionOlympia WA |
