False Justice and Prosecutors' Fallacies

False Justice , by Jim and Nancy Petro, is an engaging, first-person tale of a former Ohio Attorney General's involvement in correcting ...

The Department of Justice's Plan for a Forensic Science Discipline Review

On March 21, the Department of Justice announced to the National Commission on Forensic Science that it will be expanding its review of fore...

Sample Evidence: What’s Wrong with ASTM E2548-11 Standard Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs?

Samuel Johnson once observed that “You don't have to eat the whole ox to know that it is tough.” Or maybe he didn't say this, 1 / bu...

NIST Distances Itself from the First OSAC-approved Forensic Science Standard

On January 11, 2016, a group created by the federal government to develop better standards for forensic science approved -- without changing...

Hot Paint: Another ASTM Standard (E2937-13) that Needs More Work

A second standard for comparing samples of paint under review for the OSAC Registry is ASTM E2937-13, on "Infrared Spectroscopy in For...

What Is a "Conservative" Method in Forensic Statistics?

Statistical hypothesis testing involves a "null hypothesis" against an "alternative hypothesis." If data are not well ou...

"Reasonable Scientific Certainty," the NCFS, the Law of the Courtroom," and that Pesky Passive Voice

In a posting last week about a proposed National Commission on Forensic Science recommendation for the Attorney General to take the positio...