overview of established curriculum for live training
TRANSCRIPT
and E-Resource
Stetson University College of Law
Overview of Established Curriculumfor Live Training: Courses, Webinars
NAS Report:Need For Education and Training
• Recommendation 10 of the NAS Report:
• “…support law school administrators and judicial education organizations in establishing continuing legal education programs [in forensic science] for law students, practitioners, and judges.”
“For the long term, . . . the best way to get lawyers and judges up tospeed is for law schools to offer better courses in forensic science intheir curricula.”
- 2009 NAS Report, p. 236
Law School Education in Forensic Sciences
Continuing Legal Education in Forensic Science
American Bar Association Annual Meeting (2015)
[T]he American Bar Association urges the National Commission on Forensic Science to develop a model curriculum in the law and forensic science, and to provide training in
that curriculum for federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal judges.
Sci Tech LawyerSpecial issue on forensic science and
law
ABA Science & Technology Law Section Summer 2017
NCSTL in a Nutshell
• Founded 2003
• Almost 1.7 million visitors from over 170 countries
• Trained over 16,300 forensic professionals
• Received IACP August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic ScienceAward for Innovation in Forensic Technology (2010)
• Over 600 students have provided pro bono and directedresearch support for projects
• It’s Evident e-newsletter
• Database: 144,000 Records; 8176 multimedia records
• Collection, which contains more than 3000 journal collectionsand books, available through interlibrary loan
• Received over $14.6 million in grants
Programs for NIJ and BJA
• Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert
• SANE/SART Training
• DNA for the Defense
• Capital Litigation Program
• Community Acceptance Panel on Less LethalTechnologies
• Cold Case Toolkit
• Nationwide Conferences on Science, Technologyand the Law
NCSTL as Resource for Forensic Experts
• Links to Professional Associations/Boards
• Can search database for articles and cases thatmention experts as authors or witnesses
• Can see lectures by experts - Education/Trainingpage
According to The Death Penalty Information Center, as of January 18,2018:
– 31 States in the U.S. have the Death Penalty
According to Amnesty International, as of 2015:
– 56 Countries have the Death Penalty
PROBLEM: Consequences of forensic science errors are grave
SOLUTION: Better training in forensic science for Capital Litigators
What NCSTL is doing to train Capital Litigators:Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training
Capital Case Litigation Initiative
In 2015 NCSTL received a $400,000 grant from BJA to produce:
•8 Interactive Webinars
•2 Live Training Sessions Continuing
education credits offered:
• 2 hours per Webinar
• 11.5 hours for Live Training Session
Webinars are archived on: www.NCSTL.org/education/TRAINING
Webinar #1: Crime Scene EssentialsMarch 2, 2016
Photography, Collection andProcessing of Evidence
• Produced with LEIC
Guest Experts
– Dan Anselment (LEIC TrainingConsultant)
– Toby L. Wolson (DNA andbloodstain pattern analysisexpert; Noslow ForensicConsultations, LLC)
Webinar #2: Crime Lab EssentialsMay 25, 2016
Behind the scenes footage of the new Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory
– Latent Prints, Firearms, DNA, Toxicology and Drug ID
Guest Experts:
– Ann Talbot (Director and FormerASCLD/LAB Board; AAFS member)
– Attorney Christine Funk (NIST LRC; former General Counsel, Washington DC Crime Laboratory)
Webinar #3: Forensic Pathology EssentialsOctober 13, 2016
Discover what happens to a body fromthe crime scene to the autopsy• Webinar takes you through how an autopsy is
conducted
• Delves into strangulation, blunt trauma, poisoning, stab wounds, gun-shot wounds,and more
Guest Experts:
• Dr. J. C. Upshaw Downs, ForensX, L.L.C.
– Formerly: Medical Examiner for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, State Medical Examiner of Alabama
• Dr. Darin Trelka, Assistant Professor of Clinical Biomedical Science & Director of Anatomical Programs at FAU College of Medicine
– Formerly: Interim Chief Medical ExaminerBroward County, FL Medical Examiners
Webinar #4: Forensic Toxicology EssentialsEmphasis OpioidsMay 31, 2017
Review of the basic toxicology andpharmacology of opioids followed byan overview of the opioid epidemic
Guest Experts:• Dr. David Benjamin
– Clinical Pharmacologist and forensic toxicologist; Affiliate associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy
• Dr. Diane Boland– Director of the Toxicology Laboratory in
Miami Dade County Medical Examiner ’sDepartment
Webinar #5: Forensic Science Essentials Fire Analysis andDocument Examination June 28, 2017
Guest Experts:
• John J. Lentini• Fire Analysis Expert; Conducted more than
2,000 Fire Scene Inspections; Author of “Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigtion”
• Linton A. Mohammed• Certified by the American Board of Forensic
Document Examiners, Inc.; Member and Past-President of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, Inc.; Chair of Questioned Documents Section of AAFS
Webinar #6: OSAC EssentialsForensic Science ResourcesSeptember 26, 2017
Genesis of OSAC along with informationabout OSAC’s and NIST’s progress in Forensic Sciences
Guest Experts:
• Mark D. Stolorow• Deputy Director of Special Prgrams Office at NIST;
Director of OSAC Affairs; Program chairman of theInternational Symposium on Forensic Science ErrorManagement; former training coordinator forstatewide forensic serology program for IllinoisState Police Bureau of Forensic Science
• Hon. Christopher J. Plourd• Presiding Judge of Imperial County Superior Court
in El Centro, California; former practicing litigationattorney for 31 years (San Diego & El Centro, California); Specialized in cases involving ForensicScientific Evidence
Webinar #7: Certification and Accreditation EssentialsDecember 14, 2017
Overview of laboratory accreditationprocess and certification of forensicscience practitioners
Guest Lecturers• Laurel J. Farrell
• Senior Accreditation Program Manager forthe ANAB Forensics accreditation program;previously Accreditation Program Managerfor Calibration Accreditation Program.
• Det. Robert J. Garrett• Served for 30 years in Law Enforcement;
previously supervisor of Crime Scene Unit of Middlesex County Prosecutors Office in NewJersey.
Webinar #8: Electronic Evidence EssentialsFebruary 12, 2018Overview of digital evidence, including definition of digital forensics, the importance of electronic evidence, and the four digital/multimedia disciplines recognized by OSAC.Guest Lecturers• Josh Brunty
• Professor in the Department of ForensicSciences at Marshall University (Huntington, WV). He teaches in the areas of digital forensics and information assurance.
• Mark Rasch• Principal Client Partner for Verizon Enterprise
Solutions, in charge of strategy and messagingfor global security solutions. He is theprincipal of Rasch Technology and Cyberlaw,where he offers litigation, consulting andcounseling services in the area of cyberlaw.
Webinar #9: Forensic Psychology Essentials June 1, 2018Overview of forensic psychologicalscience and its legal applicationincluding examining forensic psychology’s legal relevance, selecting expert forensic psychologists, and the "dos and don'ts" offorensic psychologist expert testimony. Guest Lecturers• Dan Martell
• Board-Certified forensic psychologist andpast president of the American Academy ofForensic Sciences (AAFS) with over 20 yearsclinical forensic experience and currentFellow of both the American Academy ofForensic Psychology and the AAFS
• Randy Otto• Professor in the Department of Mental
Health Law & Policy at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa and has apractice that is limited to forensicpsychological evaluation.
Webinar #10: Drug Chemistry Essentials September 25, 2018
Drug Chemistry Essentials: Importance of Standardized Forensic Methods for the Analysis of Seized Drugs contains an overview of drug chemistry, drug analysis and the legal application of the discipline. The panelists examine the importance of standardized forensic methods for seized drug analysis and the impact this has on laboratories in different jurisdictions.
Guest LecturersDr. José R. Almirall is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Director Emeritus of the International Forensic Research Institute at Florida International University and Director of the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS).
Dr. Sandra E. Rodriguez-Cruz is a Senior Research Chemist at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Southwest Laboratory. She started her career with DEA in 2002. She is certified as a Drug Analyst Fellow by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC), a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), a member of the Clandestine Laboratory Investigating Chemists (CLIC) association, and ASTM International.
Alec F. Hall is an Assistant Federal Public Defender, Middle District of Florida. Mr. Hall provides full legal representation to indigent defendants charged with violating federal crimes as well as co-supervising an office of attorneys, investigators and staff.
Live Training Sessions
The Agenda included:
– Forensic Science 101
– Digital Forensic Technologies
– Interpreting DNA Results
– Science Research for Lawyers
– Expert Witness Consultation and Testimony
– Forensics after the 2009 NAS Report
– Effective Handling of Discovery
– Preparing for Issues at Trial
July 11th and 12th (2016) in St. Petersburg,FL, U.S.A
• 57 participants from states east of theMississippi
June 12th and 13th (2017) in Phoenix, Arizona
• 48 participants west of theMississippi
*All expenses paid for participants
Grant Supplement #1
– 4 Train the Trainer Live Sessions
– Austin, TX ; Erie, PA; Portland, OR; Knoxville, TN
8 Webinars- Some Topics:
– Drug Chemistry Essentials
– Bias
– Forensic Anthropology
– Firearms and Tool Marks
Grant Supplement #2
• 5 Live Training Programs – emphasis prevention of wrongful convictions – 2 with NDAA
• 5 Webinars – emphasis on trial preparation and presentation of expert testimony
US Department of Justice’s
Bureau of Justice Assistance’s
Capital Case Litigation Initiative
"This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-CP-BX-K006 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The
Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which
also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this
document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S.
Department of Justice."
Contact Information
National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology andthe Law
www.ncstl.org