Sunday, May 21, 2017

From our 'Chutzpah' department: (Chutzpah as defined by Merriam-Webser: 'nerve, gall.')...U.S. AttorneyGeneral Jeff Session's war on science/forensics; (Part 18); Forensic Magazine reports that the U.S. Justice Department - under the leadership of A.G. Jeff Sessions - is asking the public for suggestions on how to improve forensics. Very curious indeed. Especially since Sessions has arbitrarily disbanded the much-heralded Commission on Forensic Science - an independent body which was well on the way to removing so called sciences from the courts which of dubious worth that didn't belong there, and caused a litany of wrongful convictions. Talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face. HL.


PUBLISHER'S NOTE: "Forensic Magazine reports that the U.S. Justice Department - under the leadership of A.G. Jeff Sessions - is asking  the public for suggestions on how to improve forensics. Very curious indeed. Especially since Sessions has arbitrarily disbanded the much-heralded Commission on Forensic Science - an independent body which was well on the way to removing so called sciences from the courts which were of dubious worth and caused a litany of wrongful convictions. Talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face, so to speak."

Harold Levy: Publisher The Charles Smith Blog;

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STORY: "DOJ (Department of Justice) Asks for Suggestions to Improve Forensic Science," by senior science writer Seth Augenstein, published by Forensic Magazine on May 10, 2017.

GIST: "Last month, the much-heralded National Commission on Forensic Science was disbanded by the then-new Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The NCFS was the agency that was setting the policy of reevaluating forensic science during the Obama administration. But at the same time, the Department of Justice said it would take stock of the state of forensic science in the Trump administration, but do most of its work in-house. The DOJ has asked for public comment on how to do this. So far, 16 people have commented. One month remains for the public to make its concerns heard. The federal agency asks a list of open-ended questions pertaining to all levels of American law enforcement: identifying the biggest needs in forensic science, how best to improve practices and laboratory capacity, what barriers there are to productivity and how the DOJ can best foster resources and relationships. But there are two more specific questions: how to better leverage digital forensic evidence analysis and how the DOJ can best coordinate with the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC)."

The entire story can be found at:
http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2017/05/doj-asks-suggestions-improve-forensic-science?et_cid=5945690&et_rid=979655504&type=cta&et_cid=5945690&et_rid=979655504&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2f2017%2f05%2fdoj-asks-suggestions-improve-forensic-science%3fet_cid%3d5945690%26et_rid%3d%%subscriberid%%%26type%3dcta

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;