Because equal justice requires sound science
The Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences (CIFS) and State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® have gathered renowned forensics experts and criminal practitioners to give you an unbiased look at scientific methods and practices used in criminal cases. They’ll make certain you understand the reliability of the scientific evidence used in your next case. Together, we can all work to improve the quality of the forensic science in our criminal justice system. Catch the content from Day 1 of the Institute with these encore webcasts.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Hear why sound science is critical to the justice system from co-founder of the Innocence Project, Peter Neufeld. A founding partner in the New York civil rights law firm of Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, LLP, he has lectured and taught students, lawyers, judges, legislators, and scientists on subjects at the intersection of science and criminal justice.
Peter Neufeld
Statistics and the Admissibility of Forensic Evidence
You’ll focus on two Daubert factors – understanding error rates and testing for validity – to understand how statistical principles underlie both. Using firearms analysis as an example, uncover the potential for error and the limitations of studies that have been conducted to estimate that error.
Dr. Alicia Carriquiry
NAS and PCAST Reports Overview
Discuss the often-inadequate scientific foundations for most methods utilized in forensic science. Understand the data needed to validate a forensic method and review progress made since the publication of the NAS and PCAST reports on forensic science.
Dr. Jo Handelsman
Firearm Identification: Challenging the Evidence Pre-Trial and Beyond
Learn why expert opinions on firearm identification can be unreliable. Discuss strategies challenging firearm identification evidence before trial that have been used successfully in other jurisdictions. You’ll also explore other available options if the court ultimately denies the pre-trial challenge.
Janis C. Puracal
Advanced Issues in DNA Analysis
DNA analysis has long been touted as the gold standard in forensic identification techniques, but is it really? Receive an overview of probabilistic genotyping systems (PGS) and consider whether they are as reliable as they may seem at first blush. Explore the limits of PGS methods and what we don’t yet know about them.
Maneka Sinha
Reimagining the Crime Laboratory
Examine the role of crime laboratories in ensuring impartiality from the perspective of The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratories (WSCL) and the Houston Forensic Science Center – formerly named “The Worst Crime Lab in the Country” by the New York Times. Find out how Houston’s crime lab managed to win back trust after a remarkable transformation and about the investments WSCL has made in its own evolution.
Nicole Roehm, Dr. Peter Stout