"A new bill introduced last week in the US Congress could put some
“teeth” into creating and then enforcing federal standards for the
practice of 11 forensic disciplines either criticized or debunked (aka
bitemark pattern testimony) by the 2009 National Academy of Science’s
extensive review. It is significant that the Innocence Project (IP) has been central
in getting this proposed legislation on track for consideration.
Notably absent is any comment from the American Academy of Forensic
Sciences to this action. The IP has been proactive within this largest
forensic organization on numerous forensic science reform issues. This,
year
Sally Yates, Deputy US Attorney General (the
boss of the NIJ which is a huge finding source for US forensics), gave a
cheerleading presentation informing the AAFS that change is coming to
the largely law enforcement employed AAFS membership.........“We look forward to working with members of both chambers to pass
this critical legislation,” said Peter Neufeld, co-director of the
Innocence Project, in a statement. “Providing law enforcement with
scientifically-backed forensic tools that aid in accurately identifying
the real assailants is the best way to protect everyone’s safety while
also insuring that innocent people are not wrongly accused and convicted
of crimes they didn’t commit.”.........Currently, a “transformational” review of national forensic practices
is already underway at the American Association for the Advancement of
Science. Ten disciplines are being put under the AAAS microscope. First up is
ballistics and tool markers, latent fingerprints and arson
investigations. Those are already underway. The next seven are:
bloodstain pattern analysis, digital evidence, footwear and tire tracks,
bitemark analysis (bold added), fiber trace evidence, hair trace evidence, and trace evidence of paint and other coatings,
according to the AAAS. The review was prompted by the National Academy of Sciences scathing
report released in 2009 entitled, “Strengthening Forensic Science in the
United States: A Path Forward.”"
https://csidds.com/2016/07/21/forensic-standards-bill-could-transform-forensic-science-and-get-rid-of-bitemark-ids/