Forensic Science Reform: Protecting the Innocent

Forensic Science Reform: Protecting the Innocent is written for the nonscientist to help make complicated scientific information clear and concise enough for attorneys and judges to master. This volume covers physical forensic science, namely arson, shaken baby syndrome, non-accidental trauma, bite marks, DNA, ballistics, comparative bullet lead analysis, fingerprint analysis, and hair and fiber analysis, and contains valuable contributions from leading experts in the field of forensic science.

Offers training for prosecuting attorneys on the present state of the forensic sciences in order to avoid reliance on legal precedent that lags decades behind the scienceProvides defense attorneys the knowledge to defend their clients against flawed scienceArms innocence projects and appellate attorneys with the latest information to challenge convictions that were obtained using faulty scienceUses science-specific case studies to simplify issues in forensic science for the legal professionalOffers a detailed overview of both the failures and progress made in the forensic sciences, making the volume ideal for law school courses covering wrongful convictions, or for undergraduate courses on law, legal ethics, or forensics

Chapter 1. Compositional Bullet Lead Analysis Chapter 2. Microscopic Hair Comparison Chapter 3. Arson Chapter 4. Shaken Baby Syndrome Chapter 5. Bite Mark Evidence Chapter 6. Firearms Identification Chapter 7. DNA Evidence Chapter 8. Presumptive and Confirmatory Blood Testing Chapter 9. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Chapter 10. Crime Scene Reconstruction Chapter 11. Fingerprints