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Welcome to the Center for Forensic Science and Public Policy The Mission of the AJS Center for Forensic Science and Public Policy is devoted to improving the administration of justice through the application of cross-disciplinary research and education.
Review Finds Flawed NC Cases, Including Executions Analysts at North Carolina's crime lab omitted, overstated or falsely reported blood evidence in dozens of cases, including three that ended in executions and another where two men were imprisoned for murdering Michael Jordan's father, according to a scathing review released Wednesday. Posted 8/31/2010 To learn more, visit the NPR website.Cleared, and Pondering the Value of 27 Years Mr. Green, 45, was set free by a state judge two weeks ago after DNA tests on the rape victim’s clothing proved that he could not have been responsible for the crime. His exoneration was the work of a new unit in the Harris County district attorney’s office dedicated to reviewing claims of innocence. Posted 8/17/2010 To read the story on the New York Times website, click here.Junk science? Another inmate on death row fights to disprove arson In the last two decades, advances in arson science have spurred some investigators and lawyers to question past arson convictions. Some attorneys estimate dozens or even hundreds of cases may have been based on faulty arson science. There are no figures on how many arson cases have been successfully refuted. Posted 8/12/2010 To read the story on the CNN Justice website, click here.New Jersey is a leader in addressing problems with eyewitness testimony The problem with eyewitness identification has come to light because of DNA testing, the great equalizer in the criminal justice system because it helps to convict the guilty and clear the innocent. Posted 6/29/2010 Click here to read the article in The Philadelphia Inquirer.N.J. courts need stricter standards for eyewitness testimony, report says This report, expected to be released Monday, will suggest New Jersey adopt the toughest standards in the nation for allowing eyewitness testimony in the courtroom. Posted 6/20/2010 To learn more, click here.Some Rhode Island police take a harder look at eyewitness IDs A 2007-2008 survey of criminal defense lawyers in Rhode Island, conducted by the Rhode Island Office of the Public Defender, revealed at least seven cases in which a person who was wrongfully convicted or charged based on mistaken eyewitness identification was later cleared, said Michael DiLauro, president of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Posted 5/17/2010 Click here to read the The Providence Journal article.Passage of DNA bill good news for prosecutors, defense attorneys Governor Ted Strickland said the newly-signed law updates Ohio’s DNA law and will play a significant role in the modernization of Ohio’s system of criminal justice. Posted 4/8/2010 To view the article, in The News-Herald, click here. Psychologist conducting 2 studies on eyewitness misidentification Gary Wells, a Distinguished Professor of psychology at Iowa State University who developed the dominant theory of how mistaken identifications occur, has begun work on two new studies to explore the thought processes of eyewitnesses when their memory fails as they still try to identify the perpetrator of a crime. Posted 11/9/2009 To learn more, click here. |
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