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In the News
Arizona
Police departments billed thousands for DPS lab work
Four Northwest Valley police agencies were charged nearly
$800,000 by the Department of Public Safety for this year's
crime-lab services from the state police agency.
Missouri
Patrol names new director of crime lab division
The Missouri Highway Patrol has named William Marbaker as the
new director of the Crime Laboratory Division.
Maryland
Accrediting agency to review city crime laboratory
The
national accrediting agency for crime laboratories will visit
Baltimore in the wake of revelations that city lab employees
contaminated evidence with their own DNA.
National
Improving Forensic Science to Prevent Injustice
The Justice Project is releasing Improving the Practice and Use
of Forensic Science, a policy review of the problems with
certain forensic science policies and procedures and offers
solutions to help states improve the quality of evidence in
trials and increase fairness and accuracy within the criminal
justice system.
North Carolina
Republican AG candidate challenges Cooper's record
Two issues motivated an Asheboro attorney to throw his name into
the pot for the state's top law enforcement position earlier
this year; one is the poor handling of the state's crime lab.
South Africa
Police forensic services face backlog crisis
The country‘s police forensic science services is facing a
backlog crisis and the Institute of Security Studies has raised
concerns over staff shortages and the poor quality of evidence.
Mississippi
AG's Crime Lab Task Force Meets
Funding for a state medical examiner could soon cost you an
extra $10 if you get a ticket.
Maryland
City crime lab director fired
Baltimore crime analysts have been contaminating evidence with
their own DNA - a revelation that led to the dismissal this week
of the city Police Department's crime lab director and prompted
questions yesterday from defense attorneys and forensic experts
about the professionalism of the state's biggest and busiest
crime lab.
Upcoming Meetings and
Conferences
Please send us an
email if you'd like us to announce an upcoming
event. We will post meeting announcements for major events
only.
(NAME)
National Association of Medial Examiners
September 5-10, 2008 Louisville, KY
(ASCLD) American Society
of Crime Laboratory Directors
September 14-18, 2008 Salt
Lake City, Utah
(SAFS)
Southern Association of Forensic Scientists
September 21-26, 2008
Shreveport, Louisiana
(SWAFS) Southwestern
Association of Forensic Scientists
September 22-26, 2008 Little
Rock, Arkansas
(MAFS)
Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists
September 28 - October 3, 2008
Des Moines, Iowa
(NEAFS) N'eastern Association of
Forensic Scientists
October 1 - 4, 2008 White Plains, New
York
(NAFS)
Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists
November 3-7, 2008 Boise,
Idaho
(AAFS)
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
February 16-21, 2009
Denver, CO
(MAAFS) Mid Atlantic
Association of Forensic Scientists
May 4-8, 2009
Hunt Valley, MD
(AFTE)
Association of Firearm & Toolmark Examiners
May 31 - June 5, 2009
Miami Beach, FL
(Special Joint Meeting)
MAAFS, MAFS, SAFS, SWAFS
October 18-23, 2009 Orlando, FL
(IAFS) International Association of Forensic Sciences
2011 Date and location to be
announced
(IAI)
International Association for Identification
2009 Date and location to be
announced
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Announcement
Last Reminder: 2005 crime lab census has
been posted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Please
click the link below to view this important document.
2005 Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs
An Interesting Idea....
From United Press International,
Aug 13, 2008
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Some legal
scholars say the United States should introduce an
Australian procedure for expert witnesses, nicknamed
"hot tubbing."
Australia, like the United States, has
partisan experts hired by the two sides in civil cases
and prosecution and defense in criminal ones. But the
experts on the same topic testify together and can
question each other as well as answering questions put
to them by judges and lawyers, The New York Times
reports.
In the United States, experts tend to
cancel each other out, or jurors may choose to believe
the one with the better demeanor or the more impressive
credentials. In most countries, experts are brought in
by judges.
Judge Denver Dillard in Iowa had dueling
experts in 2005 when he had to decide if a person
accused of transporting illegal drugs had the mental
capacity to stand trial. The defense expert said Timothy
Wilkins had an IQ of 58, the prosecution one put it 30
points higher.
Dillard said the two "canceled each other
out" and gave Wilkins the benefit of the doubt. An
appellate court agreed on the experts but decided a tie
should go to the prosecution, although the charges were
later thrown out for other reasons.
Breaking Stories
Crime Lab Report is following the events
taking place in Baltimore, Maryland that resulted in the firing
of crime laboratory director, Edgar Koch. We are also
following the possible closing of some laboratories operated by
the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Below you will find
lists of news reports pertaining to these breaking stories:
News Summary: Baltimore, Maryland
Job Posting for Crime Lab Director in
Baltimore
Posted August 30, 2008
Lab Glitch Hard to Track
Baltimore Sun, August 28, 2008
Accrediting Agency to Review City Crime
Lab
Baltimore Sun, August 27, 2008
Unusual suspects in crime lab caper
Baltimore Sun, United States -
Aug 24, 2008
Baltimore Sun, Aug 21, 2008
Baltimore crime lab chief fired
United Press International - Aug
21, 2008
News Summary: Georgia State Budget Crisis
Budget shortfalls cut work of senior judges
Atlanta Journal Constitution - Sep
2, 2008
DA workers face furloughs
Newnan Times-Herald, GA - Sep 1,
2008
GBI cutting lab services due to budget
Atlanta Journal Constitution -
Aug 15, 2008
Coroners to launch plan against crime lab
closing
Moultrie Observer, GA - Aug
14, 2008
Moultrie could lose crime lab in cuts
Moultrie Observer, GA - Aug
8, 2008
Moultrie, Columbus crime labs may close
WALB-TV, GA - Aug 8, 2008
Georgia budget crisis hits workers’ paychecks
Atlanta Journal Constitution,
USA - Aug 15, 2008
Forensics job victim of GBI budget cuts
Online Athens, GA - Aug 23,
2008
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