Episode 24 - Suspect Science

The depiction of forensic science in popular entertainment is ubiquitous. We might be lead to believe that the field utilizes actual scientific methods of crime scene analysis to bring criminals to justice with irrefutable evidence, but a closer look reveals a very different story. This week we draw a magnifying glass over this industry rife with broken incentives, subjective guesswork, and willful negligence. Our entire justice system will need a massive restructuring if there can be any hope of preventing innocent people from being sent to prison - or worse.

Can law and order be saved or is the system and its methods rotten to the core?

Full Transcript Available

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Chapters

  • 02:40 Science?
  • 04:48 Bad Science: Bite Mark Analysis
  • 06:07 Bad Science: Shoe Tread Matching
  • 07:30 Bad Science: Hair Analysis
  • 11:40 Bad Science: Fingerprint Analysis
  • 18:17 DNA
  • 27:29 Paradox of Better DNA Technology
  • 36:48 Crime Labs: Flawed System
  • 46:50 Crime Labs: Money
  • 47:46 Questioning the Foundations of the Justice System
  • 50:30 Crime Labs; Laws?
  • 56:35 Testilying
  • 1:00:20 Cop Culture in Media and Its Effect on Empathy
  • 1:05:10 Police Work Dangerous?
  • 1:06:48 What Can we Do: Juries
  • 1:10:11 What Can We Do: Systems Thinking
  • 1:13:52 What Can We Do: Practical

Additional Reading:

REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods

Journal Articles

Sources

@misc{all things considered_2001, title={West Virginia Forensics}, url={https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1128477}, journal={NPR}, publisher={NPR}, author={All Things Considered}, year={2001}, month={Sep}}


@misc{balko_2010, title={North Carolina's Corrupted Crime Lab}, url={https://reason.com/archives/2010/08/23/north-carolinas-corrupted-crim}, journal={Reason.com}, publisher={Reason}, author={Balko, Radley}, year={2010}, month={Aug}}


@misc{balko_2017, title={Opinion | The emperor of junk science forensics has died}, url={https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/08/31/the-emperor-of-junk-science-forensics-has-died/?utm_term=.252bf8b5344b}, journal={The Washington Post}, publisher={WP Company}, author={Balko, Radley}, year={2017}, month={Aug}}


@misc{baran_2013, title={Troubled St. Paul crime lab problems even worse than first thought, probe reveals}, url={https://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/02/14/news/saint-paul-crime-lab-major-errors-found}, journal={Minnesota Public Radio News}, author={Baran, Madeleine}, year={2013}, month={Feb}}


@misc{baran_minnesota public radio_2013, title={Documents: Independent review of St. Paul crime lab finds big problems}, url={http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2013/02/crime-lab-report/}, journal={Minnesota Public Radio News}, publisher={Minnesota Public Radio}, author={Baran, Madeleine and Minnesota Public Radio}, year={2013}, month={Feb}}


@misc{becker_2013, title={Photos Reveal Sloppy Conditions At Now-Closed Drug Lab}, url={http://legacy.wbur.org/2013/04/02/drug-lab-photos-conditions}, journal={wbur}, publisher={WBUR}, author={Becker, Deborah}, year={2013}, month={Apr}}


@misc{becker_2013, title={Annie Dookhan And The Massachusetts Drug Lab Crisis}, url={http://badchemistry.legacy.wbur.org/2013/05/19/annie-dookhan-and-the-massachusetts-drug-lab-crisis}, journal={badchemistry}, author={Becker, Deborah}, year={2013}, month={May}}


@article{berge_ozcanhan_zijlstra_lindenbergh_sijen_2015, title={Prevalence of human cell material: DNA and RNA profiling of public and private objects and after activity scenarios}, volume={21}, DOI={10.1016/j.fsigen.2015.12.012}, journal={Forensic Science International: Genetics}, author={Berge, M. Van Den and Ozcanhan, G. and Zijlstra, S. and Lindenbergh, A. and Sijen, T.}, year={2015}, month={Dec}, pages={81–89}}


@misc{bunkley_2008, title={Detroit Police Lab Is Closed After Audit Finds Serious Errors in Many Cases}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/26detroit.html?_r=0}, journal={The New York Times}, publisher={The New York Times}, author={Bunkley, Nick}, year={2008}, month={Sep}}


@misc{frontline_2012, title={The Real CSI}, url={https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/real-csi/}, journal={PBS}, publisher={Public Broadcasting Service}, author={Frontline}, year={2012}, month={Apr}}


@misc{gertner_2013, title={Drug Lab Scandal: The Massive Failures Of Many Collided In A Perfect Storm}, url={http://cognoscenti.legacy.wbur.org/2013/02/06/dookhan-forensics-drug-war-nancy-gertner}, journal={cognoscenti}, publisher={WBUR}, author={Gertner, Nancy}, year={2013}, month={Feb}}


@misc{goldstein_2018, title={'Testilying' by Police: A Stubborn Problem}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/nyregion/testilying-police-perjury-new-york.html}, journal={The New York Times}, publisher={The New York Times}, author={Goldstein, Joseph}, year={2018}, month={Mar}}


@misc{hsu_2012, title={Forensic techniques are subject to human bias, lack standards, panel found}, url={https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/forensic-techniques-are-subject-to-human-bias-lack-standards-panel-found/2012/04/17/gIQADCoMPT_story.html?utm_term=.e516a884e5c1}, journal={The Washington Post}, publisher={WP Company}, author={Hsu, Spencer S.}, year={2012}, month={Apr}}


@misc{hsu_2012, title={Convicted defendants left uninformed of forensic flaws found by Justice Dept.}, url={https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/convicted-defendants-left-uninformed-of-forensic-flaws-found-by-justice-dept/2012/04/16/gIQAWTcgMT_story.html?utm_term=.81d2de130f2d}, journal={The Washington Post}, publisher={WP Company}, author={Hsu, Spencer S.}, year={2012}, month={Apr}}


@article{jones_scott_lewis_davidson_allard_lowrie_mcbride_mckenna_teppett_rogers_et al._2015, title={DNA transfer through nonintimate social contact}, volume={56}, DOI={10.1016/j.scijus.2015.10.004}, number={2}, journal={Science & Justice}, author={Jones, S. and Scott, K. and Lewis, J. and Davidson, G. and Allard, J.e. and Lowrie, C. and Mcbride, B.m. and Mckenna, L. and Teppett, G. and Rogers, C. and et al.}, year={2015}, month={Dec}, pages={90–95}}


@misc{kirchner_2016, title={DNA Dragnet: In Some Cities, Police Go From Stop-and-Frisk to Stop-and-Spit}, url={https://www.propublica.org/article/dna-dragnet-in-some-cities-police-go-from-stop-and-frisk-to-stop-and-spit}, journal={ProPublica}, author={Kirchner, Lauren}, year={2016}, month={Sep}}


@article{koppl_sacks_2013, title={The Criminal Justice System Creates Incentives for False Convictions}, volume={32}, DOI={10.1080/0731129x.2013.817070}, number={2}, journal={Criminal Justice Ethics}, author={Koppl, Roger and Sacks, Meghan}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={126–162}}


@misc{lillis_stanton_2018, title={Relative's DNA from genealogy websites cracked East Area Rapist case, DA's office says}, url={http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article209913514.html}, journal={sacbee}, publisher={The Sacramento Bee}, author={Lillis, Ryan and Stanton, Sam}, year={2018}, month={Apr}}


@misc{liptak_blumenthal_2004, title={New Doubt Cast on Testing in Houston Police Crime Lab}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/us/new-doubt-cast-on-testing-in-houston-police-crime-lab.html}, journal={The New York Times}, publisher={The New York Times}, author={Liptak, Adam and Blumenthal, Ralph}, year={2004}, month={Aug}}


@misc{lithwick_2015, title={The FBI Faked an Entire Field of Forensic Science}, url={http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/04/fbi_s_flawed_forensics_expert_testimony_hair_analysis_bite_marks_fingerprints.html}, journal={Slate Magazine}, publisher={Slate}, author={Lithwick, Dahlia}, year={2015}, month={Apr}}


@misc{marcelo_the associated press_2015, title={Thousands Of Drug Convictions At Stake In Massachusetts High Court Case}, url={http://badchemistry.legacy.wbur.org/2015/01/08/sjc-arguments-state-drug-lab-case}, journal={badchemistry}, publisher={WBUR}, author={Marcelo, Philip and The Associated Press}, year={2015}, month={Jan}}


@misc{massachusetts supreme judicial court_2017, title={Supreme Judicial Court Dismisses Over 21,000 Cases Affected by the Breach at the Hinton State Laboratory Institute}, url={https://www.mass.gov/news/supreme-judicial-court-dismisses-over-21000-cases-affected-by-the-breach-at-the-hinton-state}, journal={Mass.gov}, publisher={Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}, author={Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}, year={2017}, month={Apr}}


@misc{nagle_2017, title={Dr. Whitehurst and the FBI Lab Scandal}, url={https://www.whistleblowersblog.org/2017/11/articles/fbi-whistleblowers/dr-whitehurst-and-the-fbi-lab-scandal/}, journal={Whistleblower Protection Blog}, publisher={The National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund}, author={Nagle, Gabrielle}, year={2017}, month={Nov}}


@article{noël_lagacé_rogic_granger_bourgoin_jolicoeur_séguin_2016, title={DNA transfer during laundering may yield complete genetic profiles}, volume={23}, DOI={10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.05.004}, journal={Forensic Science International: Genetics}, author={Noël, Sarah and Lagacé, Karine and Rogic, Anita and Granger, Dominic and Bourgoin, Sarah and Jolicoeur, Christine and Séguin, Diane}, year={2016}, month={May}, pages={240–247}}


@article{noël_lagacé_rogic_granger_bourgoin_jolicoeur_séguin_2016, title={DNA transfer during laundering may yield complete genetic profiles}, volume={23}, DOI={10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.05.004}, journal={Forensic Science International: Genetics}, author={Noël, Sarah and Lagacé, Karine and Rogic, Anita and Granger, Dominic and Bourgoin, Sarah and Jolicoeur, Christine and Séguin, Diane}, year={2016}, month={May}, pages={240–247}}


@misc{paterson_2009, title={DNA blunder creates phantom serial killer}, url={https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dna-blunder-creates-phantom-serial-killer-1655375.html}, journal={The Independent}, publisher={Independent Digital News and Media}, author={Paterson, Tony}, year={2009}, month={May}}


@misc{robinson_2015, title={Forensic Pseudoscience}, url={https://bostonreview.net/books-ideas/nathan-robinson-forensic-pseudoscience-criminal-justice}, journal={Boston Review}, publisher={Boston Review}, author={Robinson, Nathan J.}, year={2015}, month={Nov}}


@misc{smith_2014, title={FORGET CSI: A Disaster Is Happening In America's Crime Labs}, url={http://www.businessinsider.com/forensic-csi-crime-labs-disaster-2014-4}, journal={Business Insider}, publisher={Business Insider}, author={Smith, Jordan Michael}, year={2014}, month={Apr}}


@misc{smith_2016, title={White House Report Concludes That Bite-Mark Analysis Is Junk Science}, url={https://theintercept.com/2016/09/07/white-house-report-concludes-that-bite-mark-analysis-is-junk-science/}, journal={The Intercept}, author={Smith, Jordan}, year={2016}, month={Sep}}


@misc{tennant_2015, title={FBI Hair Experts Gave Flawed Testimony for Decades, Review Finds}, url={https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/20696-fbi-hair-experts-gave-flawed-testimony-for-decades-review-finds}, journal={The New American}, author={Tennant, Michael}, year={2015}, month={Apr}}


@misc{worth_2018, title={Framed for Murder by His Own DNA}, url={https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/04/19/framed-for-murder-by-his-own-dna}, journal={The Marshall Project}, author={Worth, Katie}, year={2018}, month={Apr}}
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