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Forensic Tools: What's Reliable and What's Not-So-Scientific
From fingerprints to bite marks, not all evidence is backed up by rigorous research. Here are seven common types of forensics and how they stand up to this scientific scrutiny.
April 17, 2012
Dr. Cyril Wecht: The Benefits of Forensic Credentialing
Wecht, a spokesman for one of America's largest credentialing organizations, defends the company against claims that it's a diploma mill. He says the purpose of ACFEI is education and that merely having a certificate doesn't qualify a person to be a forensic expert on the witness stand.
April 17, 2012
Judge Harry T. Edwards: How Reliable is Forensic Evidence in Court?
It can vary, says Judge Harry T. Edwards, a primary author of a landmark 2009 National Academy of Sciences report on the state of forensics. And it's this variability that's a problem at trial: "In an adversarial system, your interest is in prevailing. So you're not looking to make it easier for the other side. You're not going to find scientific truth in the adversarial process."
April 17, 2012
Q&A: What's Behind Chicago's Homicide Spike?
To understand more, FRONTLINE turned to a man with a unique perspective on ending Chicago's violence, "The Interrupter's" Tio Hardiman
April 17, 2012
No Forensic Background? No Problem
There are no national standards for forensic experts. This is how a journalism grad student became certified by the American College of Forensic Examiners International, a leading provider of forensic credentials.
April 17, 2012
Can Unconscious Bias Undermine Fingerprint Analysis?
In 2004, cognitive neoroscientist Itiel Dror set out to examine whether the process of fingerprint analysis, long considered one of the most reliable forms of forensic science, can be biased by the knowledge examiners have when they attempt to find a match for prints from a crime scene. ...
April 16, 2012
Will Syrian Truce Hold?
Despite apprehensions in the lead-up to yesterday's deadline, a tenuous ceasefire agreement brokered by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan took effect in Syria this morning.
April 12, 2012
NOPD Officer Sentenced in Post-Katrina Shooting
Today a judge sentenced former New Orleans police officer Ronald Mitchell to 20 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice related to the shooting of Danny Brumfield, who was killed outside the convention center where many evacuees gathered in the days after Hurricane Katrina.
April 11, 2012
What Changes Will New U.S.-Afghan Night Raids Deal Bring?
After months of negotiations, the U.S. and Afghanistan reached an agreement on Sunday that will transfer more control of controversial night raid operations to Afghan forces, allowing the two governments to move ahead in negotiating a broader strategic-partnership agreement.
April 9, 2012
California Governor Commutes Sentence in Shaken Baby Case
Shirley Ree Smith, who was convicted in 1997 of shaking her infant grandson to death, has always maintained her innocence.
April 6, 2012
Afghanistan's 'Dancing Boys' Exploitation on the Rise
Bacha bazi -- an ancient practice in which young Afghan boys are sold by families to "entertain" men – is on the rise, according to a new report.
April 5, 2012
