Author: Yujiemi Chisholm

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Highlights

Exoneration of Ted Bradford

Ted Louis Bradford spent almost 10 years in prison for a sexual assault he didn’t commit—and another four years awaiting a new trial—before he was retried and acquitted based on DNA evidence of his innocence in 2010.
National Association of Medical Examiners

National Association of Medical Examiners Inspection and Accreditation Checklist

National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) accreditation standards are embodied in the Inspection and Accreditation Checklist. This checklist provides a realistic assessment of the quality of a system’s/office’s operations. The questions within this checklist are used during an inspection to evaluate whether or not the system/office meets the NAME Standards for Accreditation.
FTCOE

Just Portable Mass Spectrometer Possibilities

In episode five of the FTCOE’s 2018 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Research & Development (R&D) season, the presenters explore the analytical, legal, and fiscal impacts of implementing portable mass spectrometers for on-site drug evidence processing.
FTCOE

Strengthening The Medical Examiner–Coroner System Through NIJ-Funded Programs: 2018 Medicolegal Death Investigation Stakeholders’ Meeting

In 2018, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) convened a group of collaborators from across the U.S. to gather information to strengthen medicolegal death investigations. This report provides an overview of the meeting, its objectives and topics discussed, as well as NIJ current programs to address the community’s needs.
FTCOE

2018 IAC&ME Training Symposium

In this five-session training symposium, the presenters cover a wide range of topics from the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME) conference including roles and responsibilities of death scene investigations, ethics and report writing, updates on legalized drugs in specific locations, census and surveillance efforts, and the National Institute of Justice’s role in strengthening the medical examiner-coroner system in the U.S.
Office of Justice Programs

Strengthening the Medicolegal-Death-Investigation System: Accreditation and Certification A Path Forward

After reviewing the features and importance of the work of medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) offices in contributing data on the prevalence, causes, and manner of suspicious and violent deaths, this report promotes the accreditation and certification of ME/C offices and personnel, with attention to how federal departments and agencies can facilitate this effort [Description provided by the OJP website].
Office of Justice Programs

Strengthening the Medicolegal-Death-Investigation System: Improving Data Systems

In this report, the National Science and Technology Council’s Fast-Track Action Committee on Strengthening the Medicolegal-Death-Investigation System (FTAC-SMDIS) presents recommendations for appropriate federal departments and agencies on how to address issues related to accessing and working with data produced by medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) [Description provided by the OJP website].
FTCOE

Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches – Part IV

In Part Four of this four-part panel discussion series, the panelists review software considerations for familial DNA searching, including candidate thresholds derived by likelihood ratio and allele counting, as well as discussing the role of Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.