Forensic Science Under Siege (eBook)

Front cover 1
FORENSIC SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE 4
Copyright page 5
Table of contents 8
FOREWORD 12
PREFACE 14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 24
CHAPTER 1: FORENSIC SCIENCE: CELEBRATED AND VILIFIED 26
WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE, ANYWAY? 29
NATURAL SCIENCE VS. APPLIED SCIENCE 30
WITHSTANDING THE TEST OF TIME 32
THE SCIENCE WARS 33
HOW FORENSIC SCIENCE IS CELEBRATED AND VILIFIED 35
IS FORENSIC SCIENCE BROKEN? EXPERTS HAVE THEIR SAY 41
THE NEEDS OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMUNITY 46
REFERENCES 48
RECOMMENDED READING 49
ENDNOTES 49
CHAPTER 2: THE STAKEHOLDERS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE: ROLES, PERSPECTIVES, AND EXPECTATIONS 50
THE STAKEHOLDERS 50
COLLABORATION IN ACTION: THE COURTROOM WORKGROUP 57
THE OVERLOOKED STAKEHOLDER? 58
ON COMMON GROUND: THE COURTROOM TRIAL 60
REFERENCES 61
RECOMMENDED READING 62
CHAPTER 3: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM 64
THE EVIDENCE: GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT 68
REFERENCES 73
RECOMMENDED READING 74
CHAPTER 4: THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM UNDER SIEGE 76
THE DIRTY DOZEN: COMMON CHARGES LEVIED AGAINST LABS 80
THE TALES OF TWO LABS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE 122
REFERENCES 131
RECOMMENDED READING 132
ENDNOTES 132
CHAPTER 5: THE REALITY OF THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM 134
CRIME LAB FUNDING 146
HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES 149
NEEDS ASSESSMENTS OF FORENSIC LABORATORIES 152
REFERENCES 160
RECOMMENDED READING 161
CHAPTER 6: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE U. S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM 162
ROLE CALL: THE CAST OF CHARACTERS IN MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION 164
PLAYING BY THE (REAL) RULES OF MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION 168
REFERENCES 170
RECOMMENDED READING 171
CHAPTER 7: THE U.S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM UNDER SIEGE 172
A “HUMAN” SCIENCE? 172
THE PROBLEM OF THE “COWBOY” EXAMINER 174
THE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES 177
REFERENCES 182
CHAPTER 8: THE REAL STORY OF THE U.S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM 184
THE HISTORY OF ME AND CORONER SYSTEMS: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, OR SECOND VERSE, SAME AS THE FIRST 184
NEW ATTENTION TO OLD ISSUES 189
A PATCHWORK OF JURISDICTIONS 191
ALL INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL: MAKING A CASE FOR AND AGAINST THE CORONER 193
COMPARING MEDICAL EXAMINER AND CORONER SYSTEMS 197
THE VALUE OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS AND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE 198
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, BIOTERRORISM, MASS DISASTERS, AND HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUES 206
FEDERAL SUPPORT OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES AND AGENCIES 210
THE QUALITY OF MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION IN THE UNITED STATES 215
QUALITY OF SERVICE AND ACCREDITATION OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES 219
THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES 222
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH ISSUES 227
EDUCATION AND TRAINING 228
CONTINUING EDUCATION 229
TRAINING FOR MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATORS 231
ASSESSING FORENSIC PATHOLOGY PROGRAMS REVEALS VITAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA 231
RESEARCH ISSUES 235
FUNDING OF THE U.S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM 239
MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES AND FORENSIC LABORATORIES: A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP 240
REFERENCES 240
RECOMMENDED READING 242
ENDNOTE 244
CHAPTER 9: THE COURTS: BATTLEFIELD FOR THE TRUTH AND A CHANGING PARADIGM 246
THE PARADIGM SHIFT 247
THE SHIFTY PARADIGM 251
SCIENCE AND THE LAW: CLASH OF THE TITANS 255
REFERENCES 258
RECOMMENDED READING 258
CHAPTER 10: NOT ALL SCIENCE IS CREATED EQUAL 260
DO WE UNDERSTAND SCIENCE? 260
DO WE UNDERSTAND SCIENTISTS? 264
WHAT IS SCIENCE? 264
EXPECTATIONS OF SCIENCE 266
COMPARING SCIENCE AND THE LAW 270
THE AGE OF JUNK SCIENCE 271
PSEUDO-SCIENCE: WILL WE KNOW IT WHEN WE SEE IT? 273
THE DEFINITION OF PSEUDO-SCIENCE 277
THE SCIENCES MOST UNDER SIEGE: THE PATTERN IDENTIFICATION SCIENCES 278
WHERE’S THE SCIENCE? THE IDENTIFICATION COMMUNITY ANSWERS BACK 298
FINGERPRINTS AND CASE LAW 300
THE NEEDS OF THE IDENTIFICATION SCIENCES COMMUNITY 307
REFERENCES 310
RECOMMENDED READING 312
ENDNOTE 314
CHAPTER 11: DNA: CONVICTING THE GUILTY, EXONERATING THE INNOCENT 316
DNA TYPING 319
TRIAL ISSUES RELATED TO DNA 328
TRENDS IN THE ADMISSIBILITY OF DNA EVIDENCE 332
LABORATORY QUALITY-RELATED ISSUES AND DNA 337
ERRORS AND CONTAMINATION 339
DNA AND WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS 342
THE POWER OF DNA: AN ANALYSIS OF NATIONWIDE FORENSIC DNA CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY 349
REFERENCES 362
RECOMMENDED READING 363
CHAPTER 12: THE EVIDENCE TRILOGY AND FORENSIC SCIENCE 366
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS FRYE 367
THE LEGACY OF FRYE 369
FRYE VERSUS DAUBERT 370
POST-DAUBERT CHALLENGES TO FORENSIC SCIENCE 371
THE SUPREME COURT’S INTEREST IN SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE 372
THE EVIDENCE TRILOGY IS DISSECTED 373
THE IMPACT OF THE EVIDENCE TRILOGY 373
GETTING TO THE HEART OF EACH DECISION 374
THE SCIENCE WARS AFTER DAUBERT: EVALUATING EVIDENCE 377
THE VARIABLE INTERPRETATIONS OF DAUBERT 380
THE BOTTOM LINE 381
LEGAL PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE AND EXPERT KNOWLEDGE 383
THE SUPREME COURT’S CRIMINAL “DAUBERT” CASES 384
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 387
REFERENCES 388
RECOMMENDED READING 390
ENDNOTES 391
CHAPTER 13: THE STAKEHOLDERS IN COURT: JUDGES, JURIES, EXPERTS, AND ATTORNEYS 392
JUDGES AS GATEKEEPERS OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE 392
ADMISSIBILITY AND FORENSIC EVIDENCE: KEEPING THE FAITH 397
ALL JUDGES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL 398
EXPERT WITNESSES: A JUDGE’S FRIEND OR FOE? 406
ATTORNEYS PREPARE FOR BATTLE 410
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DNA CASES 417
THE JURY AND THE “CSI EFFECT” 423
THE LEGACY OF THE “CSI EFFECT” 433
REFERENCES 449
RECOMMENDED READING 451
CHAPTER 14: THE CHAMPIONS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE: ADVOCACY AND FUNDING EFFORTS 452
THE BOTTOM LINE: SHOW ME THE MONEY 468
REFERENCES 469
RECOMMENDED READING 469
CHAPTER 15: THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION: AN AGENDA FOR REFORM 470
A FEW WORDS ABOUT ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM 495
ONE LAST THOUGHT 502
MODELS FOR IMPROVEMENT 502
HAS ANYONE ASKED THE FORENSIC COMMUNITY? 512
A MODEL MEDICAL EXAMINER SYSTEM 514
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM 519
REFERENCES 526
RECOMMENDED READING 528
ENDNOTES 528
CHAPTER 16: NEW INITIATIVES AND THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE 530
THE AMERICAN JUDICATURE SOCIETY 531
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES 540
BUILDING NEW BRIDGES 546
REFERENCE 548
EPILOGUE: LOOKING OUT FOR DECEDENTS AND DEFENDANTS: TAKING A CUE FROM HEALTH CARE 550
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 554
INDEX 556