FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK... Carol Henderson

This column is a synopsis of what the NCSTL has accomplished during the third quarter and highlights some of what is new. This issue of It's Evident features articles related to "Forensics After the NAS Report".

• http://www.ncstl.org’s “one-stop-shop” database currently holds almost 108,470 records, and over 5598 of those are multimedia records. NCSTL continues to develop and consolidate forensic-based information including the addition of webcasts, podcasts, vodcasts, blog links, and training materials which focus on science, technology and law topics;
  
  
• Thousands of people search the growing database, read most current forensic-related news in the Spotlight section and It's Evident, locate events on the NCSTL Calendar, explore Education & Training resources, listen to talks given by forensic experts featured in the Multimedia area of the homepage, and subscribe to NCSTL's RSS Feeds.
  
  
• To inform NCSTL's constituency, which includes law enforcement, legal professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, and technologists, NCSTL representatives make presentations and offer training on a multitude of topics. NCSTL was pleased to be a part of the exhibit CSI: The Experience at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) in Tampa, FL. I gave a lecture on "CSI AFTER DARK" at MOSI to the general public on August 28, 2010 and then took attendees on a tour of the exhibit after the talk. The activity at MOSI represents part of NCSTL's commitment to the recent partnership with MOSI. On July 8 and 9, 2010, Anjali Swienton, NCSTL Director of Outreach, chaired the Capital Litigation Training for practitioners representing defense counsel and the prosecution at The Center for American and International Law (CAILAW) in Plano, TX on July 8-9, 2010. She presented several talks on forensic science topics at this training. Diana Botluk, Director of Research, presented "Forensic Science Research Resources" at the same CAILAW conference on July 9, 2010. Anjali Swienton also lectured on "LECTURE EVIDENCE ID, COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION", at CAILAW on August 24, 2010.
  
  
• Of special note, the NCSTL was awarded the August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic Science Award for the category of Innovation in Forensic Technology by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Forensic Committee. This award honors the name of August Vollmer and his contributions to law enforcement and forensic science. NCSTL is recognized for outstanding achievements on behalf of the law enforcement profession and the citizens served. The reception and ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 24, 2010 at the IACP’s 117th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. For more information and to register: IACP. Additionally, Susan Zucker, NCSTL Director of Technology & Distance Education, was invited to serve on the Board of the Institute of Linguistic Evidence (ILE).

I would like to acknowledge the fine work the NCSTL staff does consistently. Together, we make quite a team!

The next issue of It's Evident will be published in January, 2011. The theme will be “Biometrics Applications and Civil Liberties”.

Wishing you all the best,
Carol

RESEARCH UPDATE
The NAS Report – What Has Changed?
Leeanne Frazier, Research Attorney

Twenty months have passed since the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its report on the state of forensic science in America, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, and it seems an appropriate time to assess how much has changed as a result of the recommendations offered in the report. While the recommendations put forth by the NAS are laudable and deserve attention, the reality of the current economic environment presents a large obstacle to any implementation of the recommendations. Full paper

NAS Report and the CSI Effect
Douglas G. Jackson, NCSTL Research Assistant, J.D. candidate May 2012

For well over a century, the National Academy of Sciences ("NAS") has been supervising and monitoring the practice of the sciences. Recently, the NAS committee voiced its displeasure with the practice of forensic science in a report, called National Research Council, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward (2009) ("NAS Report"). The NAS Report opens the door for defense attorneys to challenge forensic evidence in all types of litigation. Such changes to current litigation beg the question, 'What effect will the NAS Report have on the CSI Effect?' Full paper

A CASE IN POINT
Bites, Bytes and the Unidentified
Jeff Chesen, NCSTL Research Attorney

The National Academy of Sciences report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward reached the conclusion that courts are incapable of "curing the documented ills of the forensic science disciplines." It offered recommendations for addressing the concerns identified in several forensic science disciplines, including forensic odontology. These published recommendations have not changed how bitemark analysis receives contentious and questioning interpretation. Full paper

FROM THE RESEARCH DESK...
Diana Botluk, Director of Research

Did you know that besides working on researching and creating records for the NCSTL forensic database, NCSTL researchers also create useful pathfinder pages for the Resources section of our website? Click on the Resources option on the main menu to browse these informative pages. Here you can find all sorts of resources we have created to provide links to information about a topical area or type of resource. For example, look for our page providing information about the NAS Report, our page that helps expert witnesses prepare for trial, or pages linking to state laws, courts, and rules of evidence. More

Visit the NCSTL's Selected Books Added to the NCSTL Collection in the Stetson Library and the NCSTL's Special Collections. Borrow from the collections.

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

NCSTL invites you to become a fan on Facebook and a follower on Twitter ...