Forensic science under siege : the challenges of forensic laboratories and the medico-legal death investigation system

Forensic science laboratories' reputations have increasingly come under fire. Incidents of tainted evidence, false reports, allegations of negligence, scientifically flawed testimony, or - worse yet - perjury in in-court testimony, have all served to cast a shadow over the forensic sciences. Instances of each are just a few of the quality-related charges made in the last few years. Forensic Science Under Siege is the first book to integrate and explain these problematic trends in forensic science. The issues are timely, and are approached from an investigatory, yet scholarly and research-driven, perspective. Leading experts are consulted and interviewed, including directors of highly visible forensic laboratories, as well as medical examiners and coroners who are commandeering the discussions related to these issues. Interviewees include Henry Lee, Richard Saferstein, Cyril Wecht, and many others.The ultimate consequences of all these pressures, as well as the future of forensic science, has yet to be determined. This book examines these challenges, while also exploring possible solutions (such as the formation of a forensic science consortium to address specific legislative issues). It is a must-read for all forensic scientists. * Provides insight on the current state of forensic science, demands, and future direction as provided by leading experts in the field* Consolidates the current state of standards and best-practices of labs across disciplines* Discusses a controversial topic that must be addressed for political support and financial funding of forensic science to improve Front cover......Page 1 FORENSIC SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE......Page 4 Copyright page......Page 5 Table of contents......Page 8 FOREWORD......Page 12 PREFACE......Page 14 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 24 CHAPTER 1: FORENSIC SCIENCE: CELEBRATED AND VILIFIED......Page 26 WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE, ANYWAY?......Page 29 NATURAL SCIENCE VS. APPLIED SCIENCE......Page 30 WITHSTANDING THE TEST OF TIME......Page 32 THE SCIENCE WARS......Page 33 HOW FORENSIC SCIENCE IS CELEBRATED AND VILIFIED......Page 35 IS FORENSIC SCIENCE BROKEN? EXPERTS HAVE THEIR SAY......Page 41 THE NEEDS OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMUNITY......Page 46 REFERENCES......Page 48 ENDNOTES......Page 49 THE STAKEHOLDERS......Page 50 COLLABORATION IN ACTION: THE COURTROOM WORKGROUP......Page 57 THE OVERLOOKED STAKEHOLDER?......Page 58 ON COMMON GROUND: THE COURTROOM TRIAL......Page 60 REFERENCES......Page 61 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 62 CHAPTER 3: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM......Page 64 THE EVIDENCE: GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT......Page 68 REFERENCES......Page 73 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 74 CHAPTER 4: THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM UNDER SIEGE......Page 76 THE DIRTY DOZEN: COMMON CHARGES LEVIED AGAINST LABS......Page 80 THE TALES OF TWO LABS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE......Page 122 REFERENCES......Page 131 ENDNOTES......Page 132 CHAPTER 5: THE REALITY OF THE U. S. FORENSIC LABORATORY SYSTEM......Page 134 CRIME LAB FUNDING......Page 146 HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES......Page 149 NEEDS ASSESSMENTS OF FORENSIC LABORATORIES......Page 152 REFERENCES......Page 160 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 161 CHAPTER 6: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE U. S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM......Page 162 ROLE CALL: THE CAST OF CHARACTERS IN MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION......Page 164 PLAYING BY THE (REAL) RULES OF MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION......Page 168 REFERENCES......Page 170 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 171 A “HUMAN” SCIENCE?......Page 172 THE PROBLEM OF THE “COWBOY” EXAMINER......Page 174 THE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES......Page 177 REFERENCES......Page 182 THE HISTORY OF ME AND CORONER SYSTEMS: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, OR SECOND VERSE, SAME AS THE FIRST......Page 184 NEW ATTENTION TO OLD ISSUES......Page 189 A PATCHWORK OF JURISDICTIONS......Page 191 ALL INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL: MAKING A CASE FOR AND AGAINST THE CORONER......Page 193 COMPARING MEDICAL EXAMINER AND CORONER SYSTEMS......Page 197 THE VALUE OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS AND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE......Page 198 INFECTIOUS DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, BIOTERRORISM, MASS DISASTERS, AND HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUES......Page 206 FEDERAL SUPPORT OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES AND AGENCIES......Page 210 THE QUALITY OF MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION IN THE UNITED STATES......Page 215 QUALITY OF SERVICE AND ACCREDITATION OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES......Page 219 THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICES......Page 222 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH ISSUES......Page 227 EDUCATION AND TRAINING......Page 228 CONTINUING EDUCATION......Page 229 ASSESSING FORENSIC PATHOLOGY PROGRAMS REVEALS VITAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA......Page 231 RESEARCH ISSUES......Page 235 FUNDING OF THE U.S. MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM......Page 239 REFERENCES......Page 240 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 242 ENDNOTE......Page 244 CHAPTER 9: THE COURTS: BATTLEFIELD FOR THE TRUTH AND A CHANGING PARADIGM......Page 246 THE PARADIGM SHIFT......Page 247 THE SHIFTY PARADIGM......Page 251 SCIENCE AND THE LAW: CLASH OF THE TITANS......Page 255 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 258 DO WE UNDERSTAND SCIENCE?......Page 260 WHAT IS SCIENCE?......Page 264 EXPECTATIONS OF SCIENCE......Page 266 COMPARING SCIENCE AND THE LAW......Page 270 THE AGE OF JUNK SCIENCE......Page 271 PSEUDO-SCIENCE: WILL WE KNOW IT WHEN WE SEE IT?......Page 273 THE DEFINITION OF PSEUDO-SCIENCE......Page 277 THE SCIENCES MOST UNDER SIEGE: THE PATTERN IDENTIFICATION SCIENCES......Page 278 WHERE’S THE SCIENCE? THE IDENTIFICATION COMMUNITY ANSWERS BACK......Page 298 FINGERPRINTS AND CASE LAW......Page 300 THE NEEDS OF THE IDENTIFICATION SCIENCES COMMUNITY......Page 307 REFERENCES......Page 310 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 312 ENDNOTE......Page 314 CHAPTER 11: DNA: CONVICTING THE GUILTY, EXONERATING THE INNOCENT......Page 316 DNA TYPING......Page 319 TRIAL ISSUES RELATED TO DNA......Page 328 TRENDS IN THE ADMISSIBILITY OF DNA EVIDENCE......Page 332 LABORATORY QUALITY-RELATED ISSUES AND DNA......Page 337 ERRORS AND CONTAMINATION......Page 339 DNA AND WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS......Page 342 THE POWER OF DNA: AN ANALYSIS OF NATIONWIDE FORENSIC DNA CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY......Page 349 REFERENCES......Page 362 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 363 CHAPTER 12: THE EVIDENCE TRILOGY AND FORENSIC SCIENCE......Page 366 IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS FRYE......Page 367 THE LEGACY OF FRYE......Page 369 FRYE VERSUS DAUBERT......Page 370 POST-DAUBERT CHALLENGES TO FORENSIC SCIENCE......Page 371 THE SUPREME COURT’S INTEREST IN SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE......Page 372 THE IMPACT OF THE EVIDENCE TRILOGY......Page 373 GETTING TO THE HEART OF EACH DECISION......Page 374 THE SCIENCE WARS AFTER DAUBERT: EVALUATING EVIDENCE......Page 377 THE VARIABLE INTERPRETATIONS OF DAUBERT......Page 380 THE BOTTOM LINE......Page 381 LEGAL PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE AND EXPERT KNOWLEDGE......Page 383 THE SUPREME COURT’S CRIMINAL “DAUBERT” CASES......Page 384 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?......Page 387 REFERENCES......Page 388 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 390 ENDNOTES......Page 391 JUDGES AS GATEKEEPERS OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE......Page 392 ADMISSIBILITY AND FORENSIC EVIDENCE: KEEPING THE FAITH......Page 397 ALL JUDGES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL......Page 398 EXPERT WITNESSES: A JUDGE’S FRIEND OR FOE?......Page 406 ATTORNEYS PREPARE FOR BATTLE......Page 410 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DNA CASES......Page 417 THE JURY AND THE “CSI EFFECT”......Page 423 THE LEGACY OF THE “CSI EFFECT”......Page 433 REFERENCES......Page 449 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 451 CHAPTER 14: THE CHAMPIONS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE: ADVOCACY AND FUNDING EFFORTS......Page 452 THE BOTTOM LINE: SHOW ME THE MONEY......Page 468 RECOMMENDED READING......Page 469 CHAPTER 15: THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION: AN AGENDA FOR REFORM......Page 470 A FEW WORDS ABOUT ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM......Page 495 MODELS FOR IMPROVEMENT......Page 502 HAS ANYONE ASKED THE FORENSIC COMMUNITY?......Page 512 A MODEL MEDICAL EXAMINER SYSTEM......Page 514 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEDICO-LEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEM......Page 519 REFERENCES......Page 526 ENDNOTES......Page 528 CHAPTER 16: NEW INITIATIVES AND THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE......Page 530 THE AMERICAN JUDICATURE SOCIETY......Page 531 THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES......Page 540 BUILDING NEW BRIDGES......Page 546 REFERENCE......Page 548 EPILOGUE: LOOKING OUT FOR DECEDENTS AND DEFENDANTS: TAKING A CUE FROM HEALTH CARE......Page 550 ABOUT THE AUTHOR......Page 554 INDEX......Page 556 Forensic science laboratories' reputations have increasingly come under fire. Incidents of tainted evidence, false reports, allegations of negligence, scientifically flawed testimony, or - worse yet - perjury in in-court testimony, have all served to cast a shadow over the forensic sciences. Instances of each are just a few of the quality-related charges made in the last few years.

Forensic Science Under Siege is the first book to integrate and explain these problematic trends in forensic science. The issues are timely, and are approached from an investigatory, yet scholarly and research-driven, perspective. Leading experts are consulted and interviewed, including directors of highly visible forensic laboratories, as well as medical examiners and coroners who are commandeering the discussions related to these issues. Interviewees include Henry Lee, Richard Saferstein, Cyril Wecht, and many others.

The ultimate consequences of all these pressures, as well as the future of forensic science, has yet to be determined. This book examines these challenges, while also exploring possible solutions (such as the formation of a forensic science consortium to address specific legislative issues). It is a must-read for all forensic scientists.

* Provides insight on the current state of forensic science, demands, and future direction as provided by leading experts in the field
* Consolidates the current state of standards and best-practices of labs across disciplines
* Discusses a controversial topic that must be addressed for political support and financial funding of forensic science to improve Forensic science laboratories' reputations have increasingly come under fire. Incidents of tainted evidence, false reports, allegations of negligence, scientifically flawed testimony, or - worse yet - perjury in in-court testimony, have all served to cast a shadow over the forensic sciences. Instances of each are just a few of the quality-related charges made in the last few years. Forensic Science Under Siege is the first book to integrate and explain these problematic trends in forensic science. The issues are timely, and are approached from an investigatory, yet scholarly and research-driven, perspective. Leading experts are consulted and interviewed, including directors of highly visible forensic laboratories, as well as medical examiners and coroners who are commandeering the discussions related to these issues. Interviewees include Henry Lee, Richard Saferstein, Cyril Wecht, and many others. The ultimate consequences of all these pressures, as well as the future of forensic science, has yet to be determined. This book examines these challenges, while also exploring possible solutions (such as the formation of a forensic science consortium to address specific legislative issues). It is a must-read for all forensic scientists. * Provides insight on the current state of forensic science, demands, and future direction as provided by leading experts in the field * Consolidates the current state of standards and best-practices of labs across disciplines * Discusses a controversial topic that must be addressed for political support and financial funding of forensic science to improve. "The medico-legal community is under attack for reasons of vital interest to forensic practitioners. The medical investigation system as a whole, and forensic laboratories in particular, are wrestling with problems that stem from under-funding, towering case loads, a shortage of qualified personnel, and the difficulties that arise from having a reputation under fire. Forensic Science Under Siege explores the timely, far-reaching and interrelated issues involving these two medico-legal branches of service."--Jacket