FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK... Carol Henderson

Time sure flies – it is spring and time to publish the second issue of the NCSTL e-Newsletter! NCSTL staff has been very busy in the first quarter of 2006. Here’s what’s new:

• NCSTL.org's “one-stop-shop” database which has grown to over 35,000 records and continues to develop and consolidate forensic-based information;
  
  
• NCSTL representatives attended and presented at the AAFS meeting and other conferences to inform our constituency – law enforcement, legal professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, and technologists of NCSTL’s work;


• NCSTL representatives have authored material and received significant media coverage, including features on national and local television and radio stations;


• The 2006 Law, Science, and Technology Lecture Series was held at Stetson University College of Law. DVDs, pod casts, and web casts of “The Impact of DNA Evidence In Addressing Human Rights Issues in the Philippines and Other Uses of DNA Worldwide” and “Terrorists, Hurricanes and Viruses: What’s Next?” are in production;


• Law 101, an interactive education program, designed to educate non-lawyers who are going to serve as expert witnesses, is in development;


• Law students at Stetson and other universities satisfy pro bono hours and earn directed research credit while continuing to expand the database;


• Save the Date! The second NIJ/NCSTL Conference for Science, Technology and the Law is being planned for November 2-5, 2006 at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, FL.

We, at NCSTL, anticipate a very active year and continued growth and look forward to your attendance at the Conference for Science, Technology and the Law in November.

Stay tuned …

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT
A Criminal Flush: Playing Cards and Solving Cases
Brittan Mitchell, Staff Researcher

What do cold cases, war tactics, and poker have in common? A community-based group in Florida is hoping that the commonality, a deck of cards, will be the newest resource for local law enforcement leads.

CASE STORY
Post-Conviction DNA Testing
Elizabeth Fitterman, Staff Researcher

This spring, Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio and several other states will review their statutory standards covering post–conviction testing – particularly DNA testing – to test biological evidence using modern scientific technology or biological evidence not available at the time of a defendant’s original trial or conviction. Several motivations factor into the states’ increased interest in post–conviction testing, from funding to ideology. This article briefly revisits a few compelling cases and reports on recent events possibly associated with these motivations.

FUN WITH FORENSICS
Unscramble
Catherine Guthrie, Staff Researcher

FROM THE RESEARCH DESK...Database and Reference Collection
Diana Botluk, Director of Research

Located on the Gulfport campus of Stetson University College of Law, NCSTL offers a number of different avenues by which Stetson law students can explore their enthusiasm for forensic science and the law. Find out more...

TECHNOLOGY AND DISTANCE EDUCATION NEWS
Dr. Susan Zucker, Director Technology & Distance Education and Publisher of It's Evident

The NCSTL website at www.ncstl.org continues to be modified and developed to be more easily navigable and more informative. Details include ...

NCSTL ACTIVITIES and PRESS: Find out where NCSTL staff has been and what we’ve been doing, as well as information about our publications, professional associations, and the press coverage we have received.