Stay tuned for IPMN’s upcoming CLE (date pending) featuring Greg Hampikian, whose work in the field of forensic DNA analysis played a pivotal role in overturning the murder conviction of Amanda Knox. Hampikian examined the case and found that there was no conclusive DNA evidence connecting Knox to the crime.
Join us for some complex homicidal violence.
To sign up, email the Innocence Project of Minnesota, call 651.523.3152.
Download a brochure and schedule for more information.
At Forensics 411, we will share a harrowing story of sexual assault and murderous rage. Of course, this is a horrible fate. But it is also an unusually engaging way to learn about some of the most pressing issues in criminal trials today: eyewitness identification, crime scene infestation, autopsy findings, DNA evidence, toxicology results, and, of course blood spatter. Practicing forensic scientists will illuminate forensic techniques that can help you at trial or on the job. There will even be a "lively" morgue tour. And, yes, Toto we're not in the Easements CLE anymore.
Date: Friday, May 1, 2009
Credits: 6 CLE credits applied for (1 elimination of bias and 5 standard credits)
Location: Midwest Medical Examiner's Office and Ramsey Municipal Center
Time: Check-in 8:15 - 8:45 am (Program runs from 8:45 am - 4:30 pm)
Check-in Location: Ramsey Municipal Center - 7550 Sunwood Drive NW, Ramsey, MN 55303
Cost: Standard rate $200, Public Interest rate $125
Sponsors: Innocence Project of Minnesota and Hamline University School of Law
- Explore new avenues for more effective direct and cross examination
- Find out what the expert witnesses wish they had been asked - let them tell you what the most effective questions are
- Understand how to utilize the science and talk to experts about your cases
- Meet the scientists who analyze this stuff everyday
- Learn what information juries find the most difficult to understand and discover ways to make it more comprehensible
- Examine practical ways to put what you've learned about forensic science to use
Session Descriptions
NAS Report: The Evidence Against Forensics - and the Hope For Rehabilitation
The NAS Report "Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States" released in February 2009 recommends radical changes to what is called "forensic science." The Honorable Harry Edwards, co-chair of the Committee, bluntly stated: "The judicial system is encumbered by, among other things, judges and lawyers who generally lack the scientific expertise necessary to comprehend and evaluate forensic evidence in an informed manner..." Should all scientists be certified and all labs be accredited? What if public forensic laboratories were removed from the administrative control of law enforcement agencies? We will discuss how the report's recommendations and discuss how they might be applied to Minnesota and in our work.
Presented by Dr. Lindsey Thomas, Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office
Forensic Autopsy: Dead People Do Tell Tales
Sometimes the cause of death is multiple choice. And sometimes it’s "all of the above." Your victim is a beautiful young woman last seen by her boyfriend as he left for the airport. She is found some 36 hours later, on the floor of her unlocked, blood-spattered apartment. A hammer and knife rest near her body. A chair sits under the front window. Where to start? What evidence is on the body? What kinds of injuries does she have, and how many? Which injuries killed her? The medical examiner can't say much about "who" killed your victim, but can help you understand "what" killed the victim. Come into the world of the forensic autopsy ... where trace evidence is collected, x-rays are taken, sharp and blunt force injuries are meticulously documented, identification is established, and cause of death is determined. This rich scenario will inform all four sessions.
Presented by Andrew Baker, M.D., Hennepin County Medical Examiner
Mistaken Cross-Racial Eyewitness Identification: Seeing is Deceiving
A recent review of over 230 DNA exonerations was, well, eye-opening: 77% of those false convictions relied on mistaken eyewitness identification. And, in nearly half of those cases, someone misidentified a suspect of a different race. To our befuddled brains, "they" really do look alike. The bad news: studies have shown that memory is fallible, and eyewitness identifications can be inaccurate. The good news: there are simple ways to remedy this problem. You will learn about them in this session.
Presented by Julie Jonas, Innocence Project of Minnesota
DNA for the Trial Attorney: Unraveling the Basics
Deoxyribonu-what? Polymerase chain-huh? You may not learn how to spell them, but you will learn about the key terms and concepts behind DNA evidence. Don't waste your blood, sweat, and tears trying to decipher DNA evidence again. Start with the basics of forensic biology, find out how evidence is collected and tested and then apply what you've learned to your own cases. Understand the power of DNA and what it can and cannot do in the courtroom.
Presented by Christine Funk, MN State Public Defender Trial Team
Crime Scene Investigation: Improve Your CSIQ
Evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself and it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study it and understand it can diminish its value. This goes beyond TV and Hollywood fame, come and learn what the real CSI does. Let the experts tell you how they find and read the evidence to speak for the dead. Why is it so important to be able to read the bloodstain patterns throughout the scene? How did those injuries get on the body? And what does the bloody knife mean? Learn all this and more!
Presented by Lindsey Garfield, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Toxicology: When Drugs are an Accomplice to Assault
"I only had one drink at the bar and the next thing I remember is waking up in an apartment plus some of my clothes are missing" was the first statement in the police report. Drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is unfortunately very common. Learn how common substances found in your house are the usual culprits and are just as intoxicating as the exotic drugs that are so widely spoken about. Understand the dangers of alcohol, prescription medications, flashbulb memories, drug induced paralysis and the infamous "15 minute" timeframe. You will think twice about accepting that next drink from someone!
Presented by Lindsey Garfield, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
