Forensic Database

The NCSTL.org forensic research database helps you find thousands of resources about forensic science & technology, the law of scientific evidence & expert witnesses, and more. Find:

Forensic Anthropology

Check out forensic anthropology in NCSTL's forensic database... learn more

Search Forensic Database

court decisions & legislation
legal & scientific publications
news & media
websites & organizations
educational opportunities
webcasts & multimedia

Better than a general search engine, the unique NCSTL.org database instantly pinpoints focused results about forensic science & criminal justice.

Spotlight
Top Forensic News Story
spotlight-7.jpg

Unwelcome Gifts. Something smelled fishy in Vermont, Washington, Wyoming and West Virginia in August 2009 when the states’governors received mysterious laptops they never ordered. Each office reported receiving three to five laptops in two deliveries of either Hewlett-Packard or Compaq units, according to several news sources. A National Governors Association bulletin disclosed that HP intercepted another shipment to at least one other state. The federal government is reportedly investigating deliveries in at least 10 states. If the laptops were intended as bait ... Government Technology Magazine, 2010

What’s new in …

Science: FBI investigation of 2001 anthrax attacks concluded; U.S. releases details. The Justice Department officially ended its eight-year investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks Friday with the release of hundreds of pages of documents that starkly portray the mental unraveling of the deceased Army scientist accused of committing the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history. New York Times, 2010

Technology: Intel Was Attacked at the Same Time as Google. According to the article, "Intel said that it was a victim of a 'sophisticated' cyber-attack that occurred around the same time as the much-publicized attack on Google and other companies." New York Times, 2010

Law: Program That IDs Jailed Illegal Immigrants Sought For Deportation Gets High Marks. Fairfax County is among 116 jurisdictions in the nation participating in a pilot program called Secure Communities. Under the program, authorities take an arrestee's digital fingerprint and compare it to a Department of Homeland Security immigration database. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is immediately notified if a person is an illegal immigrant. During 2009, the program identified 619 inmates as illegal immigrants in Fairfax County. Washington Post, 2010

Featured forensics-related word ... Animation (an|i•ma•tion; [an΄i mā΄shәn]—noun): A computer program that allows a reconstructionist to develop a videotape of an accident sequence to be used as an exhibit to his/her opinion of the accident scenario.

Education and Training
Capital Litigation picture

Under a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), NCSTL ran two 2-day trainings on the uses of forensic science in capital cases were held; one in May, 2009 in Tampa, FL and the other in November, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ. One hundred and fifty prosecutors and defense attorneys attended and gained information about the uses and applications of various areas of forensic science to litigation.

What is NCSTL?

NCSTL.org is the only online resource in the world that concentrates on the nexus of science, technology, and the law.

Focusing on forensic science and scientific evidence, NCSTL.org educates and shares information with scientists, legal professionals, law enforcement, academics, and the public.

How we help you:

  • forensic research database
  • resource pages on law, expert witnesses, and notable forensic topics
  • video lectures from noted experts
  • specialized bibliographies
  • resources for forensic science educators
  • newsletter about the latest forensics topics
  • calendar of forensic events, including conferences and seminars
  • forensic resources to borrow through interlibrary loan
  • interactive educational programs
  • forensic news you can use

Calendar
Friday Mar 12, 2010

Find forensic video and audio casts! Search the NCSTL.org forensic database.


Alistair Ross, Director of National Institute of Forensics Science (NIFS) in Australia, talks about NIFS and forensic science.

Alistair Ross
Director of the National Institute of Forensics Science (NIFS) in Australia, talks about NIFS and forensic science. See the video.

Italian students, speak about forensic science at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting, 2009.

Italian students
speak about forensic science at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2009 meeting. Click to see the video, click the picture to hear audio.

Marc A. Krouse, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, TX, speaks about being a forensic pathologist: educational background, high-profile cases, mass disaster response, and consulting.

Marc A. Krouse
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, TX, speaks about forensic pathology and high-profile cases ... See the video, click the picture for the audio.

See/hear specialty experts from the 2009 Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting recorded by NCSTL.

See/hear NCSTL Advisory Council members recorded by NCSTL at the 2009 Annual Advisory Council meeting.