Jun 17, 2018 10:06 PM
High-profile cases of scientific misconduct at forensics labs are upending the legal system and casting doubt on the wider field, Rebecca Trager finds
https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/f...17.article
EXCERPT: The assumption that forensic science provides unequivocal answers for the criminal justice system was seriously undermined several years ago. Two US chemists who worked at Massachusetts state labs in the US separately admitted to, and were convicted of, faking drug evidence. Although they’ve both served their prison sentences, the story is not over.
The severe misconduct of the now infamous scientists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak caused massive reverberations, leading to tens of thousands of overturned drug convictions. Since the scandals erupted, several other smaller scale forensic fraud cases have surfaced in the US, as well as in the UK and Canada.
Beyond upending the legal system, these incidents have shaken confidence in forensic science. To navigate this complicated situation, well-established forensic techniques must be clearly separated from the less proven ones and lawyers require more substantial scientific training....
MORE: https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/f...17.article
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https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/f...17.article
EXCERPT: The assumption that forensic science provides unequivocal answers for the criminal justice system was seriously undermined several years ago. Two US chemists who worked at Massachusetts state labs in the US separately admitted to, and were convicted of, faking drug evidence. Although they’ve both served their prison sentences, the story is not over.
The severe misconduct of the now infamous scientists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak caused massive reverberations, leading to tens of thousands of overturned drug convictions. Since the scandals erupted, several other smaller scale forensic fraud cases have surfaced in the US, as well as in the UK and Canada.
Beyond upending the legal system, these incidents have shaken confidence in forensic science. To navigate this complicated situation, well-established forensic techniques must be clearly separated from the less proven ones and lawyers require more substantial scientific training....
MORE: https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/f...17.article
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