Marvin Schechter CLE on Forensic Evidence

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

9-2011

Campus Unit

School of Law

Abstract

FORENSIC FRENZY AND FOLLY: THE POST-NAS WORLD OF FORENSIC DISCIPLINES

Monday, October 3, 2011

1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., UND Gamble Hall, Room 130

and Various IVN sites in North Dakota

Approved for 3.0 CLE Hours in North Dakota

CLE Credit will be applied for in MN

This seminar is proudly sponsored by the State Bar Association of North Dakota, SBAND's Criminal Law Section, ND Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, ND Supreme Court Judicial Branch, ND Association Criminal Defense Lawyers & the University of North Dakota School of Law

For more information and to register, visit the SBAND website. Download brochure in pdf format.

Program Highlights

PART 1: The NAS Report - a review of the report and its recommendations with emphasis on the problems of the forensic disciplines.

Differentiation between science and forensic science, replication, bias, report writing and language, the so-called "CSI- effect", etc. will be among the many topics addressed.

PART 2: Recent Legal Developments in Forensic Discipline Law - a review of the plethora of cases decided in the wake of the NAS Report, where the courts are trending, exclusion and limitations on forensic expert testimony, significant and emerging evidentiary patterns

PART 3: ASCLD/LAB and the Forensic Laboratory Scandals - a review of the on-going incidents and failures at forensic laboratories, how the accreditation process works (and does not work), a review of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Police Laboratory Scandal, the San Francisco Police Laboratory DNA Mix-up and the Nassau County (NY) Police Laboratory implosion, what is the future for accreditation

About the Presenter

Marvin SchechterMARVIN E. SCHECHTER is a criminal defense for 38 years based in New York City. He is currently serving his third three year term as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and serves on the Bylaws, Indigent Defense and Forensic Disciplines Committees. He is the Chairperson of the New York State Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section for 2011- 2013.

He co-authored "Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward," issued by the National Research Council and was recently appointed to the New York State Forensic Science Commission.

He was the Attorney-in-Charge at the New York City Legal Aid Society's Criminal Division, Kings County from 1992- 1994. He has been an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, has conducted training for the NYS Office of Court Administration and the Attorneys for Children Programs of the NYS Appellate Division. Marvin is a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of "Getting Out/Staying Out", a non-profit organization which works with 18-22 year old prison inmates aiding them in obtaining a GED and placement in colleges or trade schools, finding a home, employment and providing a mentor. When he is not lecturing on forensic issues, Marvin can be found kayaking or hiking, reading mysteries, photography and trying to understand how his daughters perceive the world.

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