Crime Lab Report is an independent organization that analyzes media coverage, public-policy trends, and current issues affecting the profession of forensic science.

1,200 subscribers and growing!  Fill below to receive our monthly reports. 

Recent Reports

September 17, 2008
The 2008 ASCLD Symposium is in Session!
Due to the ASCLD symposium in Salt Lake City, we are publishing an abbreviated report with news headlines and a response from Dr. Bill Tilstone regarding comments he made at the Actual Innocence Conference earlier this year.

August 20, 2008
Pharmacists, Doctors, and Forensic Scientists
"Crime Lab Report believes that many publicly-funded crime labs are dealing with some of the same problems that were identified in the USA Today study.  Some are so understaffed that they can't handle their caseloads.  And with budgets being cut and many facilities exceeding their expected life spans, an increased emphasis on productivity and efficiency can wear down even the most committed scientist."

July 16, 2008
New Study 'Exonerates' Forensic Science
"It is true that mistakes and misjudgments do happen in crime laboratories, mainly because forensic scientists are human beings and all professions struggle with some instances of malpractice.  Doctors make mistakes.  Lawyers and judges make mistakes.  And sometimes forensic scientists make mistakes.  But there is no basis to suggest that forensic science is inherently more susceptible to failure than other professions of equal significance and criticality." 

June 18, 2008
Licensing, Accreditation, or Certification?
"It is important to understand, however, that professional licensure usually arises from within a particular industry whose leaders and members decide that restricting the size of the labor market, as well as the credentials needed to gain entry, will be beneficial for all.  By keeping out and kicking out “undesirables,” licensing is thought to help elevate the perceived reputation and salaries of those on the inside." 

May 21, 2008
Should States Charge for Forensic Services?
"Invariably, cutbacks seem to always weigh heavy on publicly funded crime laboratories despite their critical importance in helping to ensure public safety.  And as budget conditions worsen, some states resort to drastic measures only to learn that their crime laboratories are more valuable than they thought."

April 24, 2008
An interview with Kevin Lothridge (NFSTC)
"Our journey has been a series of challenges that have most often become opportunities.  NFSTC is based on a new concept in the forensic community – a non-volunteer based organization that is not membership fee driven.  We have consistently employed the approach of exploring new territory while using innovative solutions to smooth the potholes that all endeavors face."

March 14, 2008
Staff existing crime labs before building new ones
"Before cities, counties, or regions take on the enormous challenge of creating their own laboratories, we’d like to suggest an alternative: they might be better off simply funding new positions in existing state laboratories. In exchange, these new hires can be assigned to process the evidence of the contributing jurisdiction’s cases. When the backlog from that jurisdiction is eliminated, the staff can be temporarily redirected to work cases from other areas. It’s a win-win situation."

February 7, 2008
"Innocence Politics" weighs heavy on Senate hearing
"Crime Lab Report recognizes that improvements can likely be made in how the Office of Justice Programs conducts its business. The same probably holds true for just about every other federal agency. But we also believe that NIJ has largely served the public well in its support of forensic scientists and has acted with a degree of urgency that is appropriate for the overwhelming challenges that many public crime laboratories face on a daily basis."

January 16, 2008
MSNBC misses real story in forensic-failure series
"MSNBC should have named its documentary "Blind Science / Failed Justice" to underscore the danger of disrespecting the complexities of scientific evidence. Unfortunately for viewers, MSNBC opted to seduce its audience with a more scandalous title that openly contrasts with TV viewers' ongoing love-affair with forensic science."

December 20, 2007
Low-bid accreditation will doom forensic science
"A true and effective accreditation program forces crime laboratories to subordinate themselves to the standards and scrutiny of the forensic science community - not the other way around.  Egotists in the profession who cringe at the thought of subjecting themselves to this kind of "indignity" should either join and converse with their more fair-minded colleagues or find another line of work."   

November 8, 2007
Many are to blame for Maryland Judge's Ruling
"Latent Fingerprint Identification is a sound and reliable science in need of more competent representation when it comes under serious attack. We hope forensic science professionals in all disciplines will allow themselves to be motivated by Judge Souder's ruling and develop more effective strategies for presenting themselves and their methods in court. "

October 17, 2007
Crime lab directors show class and heart
"Crime laboratory directors are the foundation for all of forensic science and are therefore critical to the functioning of our entire criminal justice system.  Rarely do we hear about them, but it is under their watch that science is so frequently and reliably applied to solve even the most baffling and horrific criminal cases."

September 24, 2007
The Innocence Project has questions to answer
"Holding public institutions accountable for their actions is a civic responsibility; however, the Innocence Project's claim that forensic science is an unregulated profession is patently dishonest and ignores the collective oversight provided by trial judges, opposing counselors, appellate courts, crime laboratory administrators, accreditation inspectors, and, in some cases, special prosecutors in protecting the integrity of the adjudicative process from junk science and corrupt witnesses." 

The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science
A groundbreaking study by Crime Lab Report

"Forensic science malpractice accounts for less than 11% of all systemic failures leading to wrongful convictions in the United States.  In fact, the percentage is likely much lower.  

"John Collins and Jay Jarvis, the managing editors of Crime Lab Report, spent thirteen months studying case profiles and media reports surrounding the first 200 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States, all of which occurred between 1989 and 2007."

Click here to read the full text (.pdf)

Click here to review raw data tables (.xls) 

Learn more about Ray Krone
Readers interested in learning more about the amazing and heartbreaking story of Ray Krone can listen to Krone in his own words.  Please click the link below to view this brief but eye-opening 10-minute interview. 

Interview with Ray Krone

Top News Headlines

CBS News – 60 Minutes
Crime lab directors - be careful who you hire
“They are young adults and have been coddled by their parents to the point of being ill prepared for a demanding workplace. Morley Safer reports on the generation called ‘Millenials.’”

Washington, D.C.
Supreme Court will take case addressing crime lab testimony
"The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether prosecutors can use crime lab reports as evidence without having the forensic analyst who prepared them testify at trial."

Washington, D.C.
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) criticizes the National Institute of Justice during a hearing on the Department of Justice budget.
"Mr. Attorney General, it has been brought to my attention that individuals at the National Institute of Justice have attempted to derail Fiscal Year 2006 report language that I requested, directing the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an independent forensics study. Once completed, this study will produce an unbiased and independent assessment of the present and future needs of the forensics community, providing a roadmap for best practices."

CBS News
DNA: The Not-So-Magic Bullet
DNA science is solid; the problem is labs across America can’t keep up with the forensic demand.

USA Today
Will exonerations make good reality TV?
”Reality television, which has probed virtually every aspect of American life, is looking to enter a gritty part of the criminal justice system: the campaign to exonerate the innocent.”

Publication Schedule

Main Report
Published on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Our main publication is distributed, free of charge. It is a comprehensive analysis that includes a variety of features including commentary by Crime Lab Report editors or guest authors.

Main reports are archived for the convenience of our readers.  Editorials are archived separately in a printer-friendly format to facilitate research and teaching.

Supplemental News Report
Published on the 1st Wednesday of each month.

Our supplemental news report is a special news and announcements publication created especially for forensic science organizations in the United States. It is designed to help busy forensic scientists stay connected to current trends affecting their profession.

Supplemental news reports are not permanently archived.