Pioneers in Forensic Science: Innovations and Issues in Practice

304 Pages·2017·3.552 MB·English

by  Kelly M. Pyrek

Pioneers in Forensic
Science
Innovations and Issues in Practice
http://taylorandfrancis.com
Pioneers in Forensic
Science
Innovations and Issues in Practice
Kelly M. Pyrek
CRC Press
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Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
About the Author xiii
Chapter 1 The Forensic Science Experts: Pioneers, Masters, and Students 1
Paying Homage to the Masters 6
Carrying on the Kirk Legacy 8
References 23
Chapter 2 Flaws and Fraud: The Accusations against Forensic Science 25
The Report Heard ’Round the World 26
Purported Errors and Fraud Committed by Forensic Examiners 30
Purported Bias on the Part of Forensic Practitioners 33
Addressing Pseudoscience 45
Lack of Research in Forensic Science 49
The DNA Standard 58
Reaction to the 2009 NAS Report 60
References 66
Chapter 3 Quality Improvement in Forensic Laboratories 69
Education and Training of Forensic Laboratory Personnel 81
Certification of Forensic Laboratory Personnel 94
Proficiency Testing of Forensic Laboratory Personnel 95
Accreditation of Forensic Laboratories 99
Ethics of Forensic Laboratory Personnel 104
An Identity Crisis? 111
Breaches in Ethics and Wrongful Convictions 114
References 119
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viii Contents
Chapter 4 Quality Improvement in Forensic Medicine Facilities 121
Grooming and Growing Professionals: Certification and Accreditation
of Medicolegal Death Investigation Offices 122
Standards and Accreditation in the Medicolegal Death Investigation System 138
References 159
Chapter 5 Celebrity and the Forensic Scientist 161
Life Imitates Art 162
Lights, Camera,… Courtroom 168
The CSI Effect 190
Rise of the Scientific Celebrity 202
References 204
Chapter 6 The Future of Forensic Science 207
Creating Federal Oversight and Quality Assurance 210
Addressing Bias, Increasing Reliability, and Fostering Independence 218
Enhancing and Facilitating Research 226
The Forensic Science Research Agenda 230
Technical Merit Standards 243
Research Funding 248
The Search for Standards and Creating a Culture of Science 251
Statistics in Forensic Science Reform 255
Education and Training 258
Privatization as a Response to Forensic Science Issues 264
Likelihood of Progress in the Future 268
References 272
Index 277
Preface
This book is a celebration of the expertise and contributions of leading members of the
forensic science community, explored through the framework and context of the chal-
lenges faced by the profession. The inherent danger of such an endeavor is failing to be
inclusive of every individual of merit; while no book can possibly include every practi-
tioner, I have tried to include some of the more visible persons as a representation of the
various disciplines and perspectives.
The pursuit of reform in forensic science has been an arduous journey. This book
aims to refresh the reader on past attempts at course correction, present efforts at quality
improvement, and future imperatives that require reconciliation of failures and triumphs
within the medicolegal system.
While the old guard has practiced according to the techniques handed down by the
masters, the next generation needs to synthesize the best of two worlds—the tried-and-
true concepts and protocols, blended with the new agenda to improve reliability, raise
standards, and enhance the field that drives the U.S. justice system.
The spirit of this book is unabashedly supportive of forensic science, tempered by the
realistic understanding that every profession requires reexamination as science, technol-
ogy, and techniques evolve, and that progress can only be made when past, present, and
future coexist as teacher and student. I hope you’ll join me on this journey of remember-
ing all that makes forensic science an exceptional enterprise, and all that serves to pro-
voke change and stimulate continued dialogue.
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