U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES FORENSIC EXPERTS MUST APPEAR IN COURT

On June 25th the U.S. Supreme Court in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts ruled that forensic experts must appear in court and submit to cross-examination if their reports are entered into evidence. In this case, lab reports were submitted in the form of sworn affidavits in a drug possession trial in lieu of sworn testimony. The practice is similar in some Michigan venues. In a 5-4 ruling the Supreme Court ruled that the practice violated a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine accusers. In a dissenting opinion Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy stated that the decision would place great financial and logistical burdens on crime labs at a time when budget and personnel reductions are common. Click the above link to read the Supreme Court ruling.

THE MAN WITHOUT FINGERPRINTS???

Scientific American and the Annals of Oncology reported that a Singapore man attempting to cross the border into the United States was stopped when the US-Visit Live Scan device failed to register his fingerprints. The traveler was currently on chemotherapy using capecitabine (Xeloda) and developed "chemotherapy induced acral erythema", a rare side effect causing peeling of the palms and feet. After his condition was verified the traveler was allowed to enter the United States.

CANADIAN TOP COURT THROWS OUT DELAYED ASSAULT CASE

The Canadian Press reported that the Supreme Court of Canada had thrown out a sexual assault case against Sudbury (Ontario) resident Marcel Godin. Justice Thomas Cromwell wrote in part, "Virtually all of the delay, in particular the nine-month delay in obtaining and disclosing the forensic analysis and the delay resulting from the adjournment of the preliminary inquiry, was attributable to the Crown,"

FORENSIC SERVICE COMPANY CHANGES HANDS

Harding Security Associates, Inc. (HSA) announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell the company to Six3 Systems Inc. of Fairfax, VA. As reported in Business Wire, "HSA is a leading provider of identity intelligence, forensics analysis and security services to the federal government. With more than 350 highly trained employees, HSA is at the forefront of the Department of Defense’s (“DoD”) biometric-enabled intelligence analysis and forensics mission. The Company also provides mission-critical intelligence and counter-intelligence training and security services to the DoD and key civilian agencies." HSA continues to seek and recruit qualified forensic personnel, especially Latent Print Examiners, to staff open positions in the USA and overseas.

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1999-2009

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