London: In a big aid to detectives faced with investigating gruesome crimes, a leading Italian forensic scientist claims to have built up data that may help determine whether marks on a dead body were due to violence or work of insects which moved in after death.
Dr Stefano Vanin at University of Huddersfield says that tiny creatures very often can cause lesions to a corpse which closely resemble injuries left by a human assailant. For example, ants which clamber over a dead body's face can deposit marks which mimic the effects of a punch.
It is vital that detectives are quickly able to separate post-mortem insect damage from wounds that were caused before death by a killer, he says.
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Monday, May 14, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Drug courts a win-win for users, taxpayers
Judge William Schma retired from the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court bench in 2006. Six years later, he still runs into people whose lives turned around thanks to his drug court. Repeatedly.
“I just got a call from someone graduating from the humanities program at Western Michigan University who wants me to come to graduation,” said Schma, a pioneer in Michigan’s drug treatment court system. “I bumped into somebody making my sandwich at Subway who said, ‘Your program saved my life.’”
Such stories are common among the judges presiding in the 100 drug courts of various sorts and sizes across Michigan. They handled more than 8,300 cases from October 2009 through September 2011, according to the State Court Administrator’s Office. They operate in 47 of Michigan’s 83 counties, which means both that they are common — and that there is room for expansion.
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“I just got a call from someone graduating from the humanities program at Western Michigan University who wants me to come to graduation,” said Schma, a pioneer in Michigan’s drug treatment court system. “I bumped into somebody making my sandwich at Subway who said, ‘Your program saved my life.’”
Such stories are common among the judges presiding in the 100 drug courts of various sorts and sizes across Michigan. They handled more than 8,300 cases from October 2009 through September 2011, according to the State Court Administrator’s Office. They operate in 47 of Michigan’s 83 counties, which means both that they are common — and that there is room for expansion.
[more...]
Thursday, May 10, 2012
DNA Contamination Blamed on Human Error
Human error at a private forensic services lab is being blamed for DNA contamination that led to the wrong man facing trial for rape. A Home Office statement said an investigation by the Forensic Science Regulator Andrew Rennison is still looking at whether other cases are also at risk but so far 26,000 other samples have been checked and no more have been identified.
The error occurred at what is described as the most advanced automated DNA testing system in the UK at LGC forensics labs in Teddington. A used plastic sample holder containing up to eight vials of DNA was mistakenly reloaded into the machine by a laboratory worker, instead of being put into a bin. The system had been installed in March 2011, and the contamination occurred in October.
Every DNA sample in that seven month period has been checked, and LGC said no other instance of contamination had been uncovered. The regulator is now working with the company in monitoring new procedures that have been put in place, to ensure the mistake is not repeated.
[more...]
The error occurred at what is described as the most advanced automated DNA testing system in the UK at LGC forensics labs in Teddington. A used plastic sample holder containing up to eight vials of DNA was mistakenly reloaded into the machine by a laboratory worker, instead of being put into a bin. The system had been installed in March 2011, and the contamination occurred in October.
Every DNA sample in that seven month period has been checked, and LGC said no other instance of contamination had been uncovered. The regulator is now working with the company in monitoring new procedures that have been put in place, to ensure the mistake is not repeated.
[more...]
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Researchers Explore Alternatives to Reducing Crime at High-Crime Locations
The bar with the regularly flashing police lights in its parking lot. The apartment building that’s frequently featured on the news because of numerous crime investigations. A new essay suggests an alternative approach to reducing crime in such places, by placing regulations on places where crime is highly concentrated. Authors John Eck, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, and his daughter, Emily Eck, a researcher at Dalhousie University, are featured this month in the journal, Criminology and Public Policy.
The authors point out that frequent crime incidents are typically concentrated in relatively few places. Property owners who take measures to prevent crime (better lighting and leases, for example) can also reduce crime at those locations, as well as places nearby. Too many times, the problems are exacerbated because a very few property owners take too little responsibility for the property, resulting in frequent calls to police for assistance. This increases the costs of crime to all taxpayers. The authors suggest that crime from these places is a form of pollution.
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The authors point out that frequent crime incidents are typically concentrated in relatively few places. Property owners who take measures to prevent crime (better lighting and leases, for example) can also reduce crime at those locations, as well as places nearby. Too many times, the problems are exacerbated because a very few property owners take too little responsibility for the property, resulting in frequent calls to police for assistance. This increases the costs of crime to all taxpayers. The authors suggest that crime from these places is a form of pollution.
[more...]
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Criminal justice: Was alibi ignored in '92 double murder?
In 2002, Cook County prosecutors undertook what then was a most unusual inquiry: the reinvestigation of a double-murder case that sent five young men to prison, even though one of them had records showing he was in a Chicago police lockup when the crime occurred.
About a year later, in March 2003, the office of then-State's Attorney Richard Devine announced that it was satisfied the convictions were sound in spite of a Tribune investigation that had uncovered new evidence suggesting that the young man, Daniel Taylor, was innocent.
Nearly a decade later, reports from that investigation — obtained by the Tribune from sources after State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office refused to make them available to the newspaper — raise questions about how the investigation was done and whether it was evenhanded.
[more...]
About a year later, in March 2003, the office of then-State's Attorney Richard Devine announced that it was satisfied the convictions were sound in spite of a Tribune investigation that had uncovered new evidence suggesting that the young man, Daniel Taylor, was innocent.
Nearly a decade later, reports from that investigation — obtained by the Tribune from sources after State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office refused to make them available to the newspaper — raise questions about how the investigation was done and whether it was evenhanded.
[more...]
Monday, May 7, 2012
Report: FBI Wants to Wiretap Facebook, Twitter, Google
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is pushing for a law that would force social networks, email providers, and other peer-to-peer services to become "wiretap-friendly" according to a CNET report.
Such legislation would expand an existing federal law that applies to cell phone operators and broadband networks. Under 1994's Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), carriers and broadband networks must have built-in backdoors giving law enforcement agencies direct access to user data during warranted investigations. CALEA began with carriers in 1994 and expanded to broadband providers in 2004. At the moment, Internet companies use their own slurping methods to provide user data to law enforcement during search warrants.
[more...]
Such legislation would expand an existing federal law that applies to cell phone operators and broadband networks. Under 1994's Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), carriers and broadband networks must have built-in backdoors giving law enforcement agencies direct access to user data during warranted investigations. CALEA began with carriers in 1994 and expanded to broadband providers in 2004. At the moment, Internet companies use their own slurping methods to provide user data to law enforcement during search warrants.
[more...]
Friday, May 4, 2012
Top judge proposes higher age of criminal responsibility for New York
A proposal that would effectively raise New York's age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, bringing the state in line with almost every other state in the country, is one step closer to becoming law. The state's chief judge, Jonathan Lippman, formally submitted legislation last week that would create a special court to handle non-violent criminal cases against 16- and 17-year-olds. He first announced the initiative in February. New York and North Carolina are the only states whose courts treat 16-year-olds as adults, and Lippman said this week that he believes there is sufficient support in the state legislature to pass his proposal.
"It's going to happen, whether this year or next year," Lippman told reporters on Tuesday. Supporters of the proposal, which is a hybrid of procedures used in adult and juvenile courts, say it would go much further than the current system in addressing the circumstances that push young people to commit crimes. Instead of simply doling out punishment, judges would have access to a range of alternatives, including community service and therapy.
Under the proposal, a 16- or 17-year-old charged with a non-violent crime would be eligible to have a case diverted from court to a local probation office, which is currently what happens for children under 16. If probation officials are unable to "adjust" a case, a district attorney could then opt to file charges in the proposed Youth Division, where cases would proceed as they currently do in adult court. Youth Division judges would be specially trained in child psychology and the alternative resolution of juvenile cases.
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"It's going to happen, whether this year or next year," Lippman told reporters on Tuesday. Supporters of the proposal, which is a hybrid of procedures used in adult and juvenile courts, say it would go much further than the current system in addressing the circumstances that push young people to commit crimes. Instead of simply doling out punishment, judges would have access to a range of alternatives, including community service and therapy.
Under the proposal, a 16- or 17-year-old charged with a non-violent crime would be eligible to have a case diverted from court to a local probation office, which is currently what happens for children under 16. If probation officials are unable to "adjust" a case, a district attorney could then opt to file charges in the proposed Youth Division, where cases would proceed as they currently do in adult court. Youth Division judges would be specially trained in child psychology and the alternative resolution of juvenile cases.
[more...]
Thursday, May 3, 2012
System routinely frees some burglars
Repeat criminals who burglarize homes, vehicles and businesses are slipping through the criminal justice system because of a gap in the law that forces prosecutors and judges to dismiss charges and let them go free. And as of now, very little can be done to keep them in jail. "They have a built-in get-out-jail-free card," Albuquerque Police Department Commander William Roseman told KRQE News 13.
A man who appeared in court late last month is the perfect example. Terry Cooke, 43, is currently facing charges in a burglary case. It is the same charge he’s faced in more than a dozen separate cases since the year 2000, but the charges were dropped each and every time. The reason is always the same. Based on the analysis of medical professionals, judges have repeatedly found Cooke mentally incompetent to stand trial.
"They let him go," Roseman said. "But they’re not putting him in a mental institution to try to keep him from committing these crimes."
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A man who appeared in court late last month is the perfect example. Terry Cooke, 43, is currently facing charges in a burglary case. It is the same charge he’s faced in more than a dozen separate cases since the year 2000, but the charges were dropped each and every time. The reason is always the same. Based on the analysis of medical professionals, judges have repeatedly found Cooke mentally incompetent to stand trial.
"They let him go," Roseman said. "But they’re not putting him in a mental institution to try to keep him from committing these crimes."
[more...]
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Cyberbullying Expert’s Research Links School Climate with Online Behavior
Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within FAU’s College for Design and Social Inquiry, along with Justin Patchin, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, have released new research linking school climate with online behavior. Their findings offer research-based strategies for improving school climate to counteract cyberbullying and sexting.
“There is little question that what goes on online affects what happens at school and vice versa,” said Hinduja. “While our research shows that most teens use technology in a safe and responsible manner, some do make mistakes or use technology in ways that create significant problems for others. These behaviors must not be ignored. With the right tools, educators have the power to creative a positive climate and even bully-proof schools at school and online.”
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“There is little question that what goes on online affects what happens at school and vice versa,” said Hinduja. “While our research shows that most teens use technology in a safe and responsible manner, some do make mistakes or use technology in ways that create significant problems for others. These behaviors must not be ignored. With the right tools, educators have the power to creative a positive climate and even bully-proof schools at school and online.”
[more...]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Crime and Justice Trends in America: How We Got Here; Where We Go Next
The new Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota Law School has embarked on a daunting task: assessing the state of knowledge on crime and justice in the U.S. from 1975, projecting to 2025. Last week, the institute, with support from the Robina Foundation and National Institute of Justice, assembled eight leading scholars to discuss key issues in the field: guns, policing, rehabilitation, sentencing, race and crime, deterrence, drug policy, and youth violence.
Some highlights of what they said follow. Eventually, the institute will publish their papers. Michael Tonry of the University of Minnesota, who presided over the program, said a prime purpose was to understand trends over time. He presented a graph of crime data from the first modern period of rising crime rates in the U.S. in the 1960s, showing how three key categories--homicide, burglary and auto theft--had generally increased until the early 1990s, and now have receded to 1960s levels. The project seeks to examine what we have learned about the factors behinds crime trends--and draw implications for the next decade.
[more...]
Some highlights of what they said follow. Eventually, the institute will publish their papers. Michael Tonry of the University of Minnesota, who presided over the program, said a prime purpose was to understand trends over time. He presented a graph of crime data from the first modern period of rising crime rates in the U.S. in the 1960s, showing how three key categories--homicide, burglary and auto theft--had generally increased until the early 1990s, and now have receded to 1960s levels. The project seeks to examine what we have learned about the factors behinds crime trends--and draw implications for the next decade.
[more...]
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