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Scientific Evidence Admissibility: Improving Judicial Proceedings To Decrease Erroneous Outcomes, Leica Kwong

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

In the United States, Federal Rules of Evidence 702, the Frye and Daubert standards govern the admissibility of scientific evidence in the courtroom. Some states adopted Frye while others adopted Daubert, causing varying judicial outcomes. The verdicts in some cases may be erroneous due to a nationally used standard. Frye has broad criteria of requiring scientific evidence to be generally accepted. While Daubert contains more requirements for the evidence to be admissible, such as peer review, publication, and scientific principles. Daubert, alongside FRE 702, provides a thorough guideline for trial judges who have the gatekeeping role to decide admissibility aiming …

Precursors Of School Shootings, Branden Harrington

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

This paper analyzes mass school shootings in the United States, stressing their root causes, indicators, demographics, and suggestive guidelines for preventable measures. Data draws associations between bullying, social dominance, and devalued masculinity amongst high school boys. Further, these trends emphasize homophobic harassment and the reassertion of lost dominance through violence. Moreover, research upholds media coverage and self-absorbed behavior as an additional precursor for inspired acts of malice. Journalistic representations of mass school shootings are identified as a source of motivation for vengeful and easily malleable youth. Studies also stress the importance of school inclusivity and interconnectedness, emitting a stark correlation …

Physical Match: Uniqueness Of Torn Paper, Marilyn Aguilar

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

In the forensic science field, it is generally accepted that all tears and fractures are unique; however, there is limited scientific evidence to support this. This study tests the claim that all tears are unique, focusing on paper. One-hundred Office Depot brand 3” x 5” blank, white index cards were torn in half by hand. Six halves were randomly removed; the remaining 94 halves were mixed and then matched by a novice using end-match analysis. The removal of the 6 random halves left 44 matching pairs. Of the remaining halves, all 44 pairs were correctly matched. The results show that …

Gsu View, 2019-05-16, Office Of Marketing And Communications

GSU View

No abstract provided.

Vol.46 N.43 May 16th 2019, Voice Media Ventures

Black Voice News

No abstract provided.

Novice Ideas: Handwriting Comparisons Conducted By An Untrained Individual, Maia Lister

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Forensic analysis of questioned documents includes chemical analyses of paper and ink as well as handwriting comparisons. Several elements affect handwriting analyses, including the presence of discriminatory factors that can individualize a handwriting sample and whether the handwriting has been disguised. Five handwriting samples were gathered from six individuals comprising of one reference, three natural unknowns, and one disguised sample per person. A novice conducted analyses on every collected sample and conducted comparisons of the reference sample to the unknown and disguised samples in an attempt to correctly source the unknown and disguised samples. The novice showed a high level …

May 16, 2019- Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, Work Session, Central Washington University

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Work Sessions of the Board of Trustees at Central Washington University, February 21-22, 2019.

Justifying Justice: Six Factors Of Wrongful Convictions And Their Solutions, Colby Duncan

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

There have been over 300 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the history of the United States. While this number may initially seem significant, there is still an unfathomable population of wrongfully convicted prisoners who have yet to be considered for retrials. Unaddressed wrongful conviction cases highlight the unacceptable weaknesses in the U.S. justice system, weaknesses that include poor investigative tactics and the acceptance or allowance of inaccurate and unreliable evidence. This paper will dutifully analyze the causes that lead to wrongful convictions and amply discuss potential solutions, all of which includes eyewitness misidentification, improper forensics, false confessions, informants, government misconduct, and …

Lessons From Batson In A Comparative Criminal Context: How Implicit Racial Biases Remain Unaddressed In Canadian Jury Section, Brittney Adams

American Indian Law Journal

This Article highlights how Batson challenges may be instructive for addressing racial biases in jury selection in Canada and draws on the murder of Colten Boushie as an illustration of how the current system has failed to hold white defendants accountable in criminal cases involving Aboriginal victims. While far from perfect, peremptory Batson challenges in the United States serve as a nod to the ongoing issue of racial bias in jury selection in the United States. Canadian jury selection contains no similar challenges, which has too often resulted in all-white or mostly-white juries failing to hold white defendants accountable for …

The Dud Effect: The Effect Of Dissimilar Fillers In Eyewitness Lineups, Shannon Booth

Student Theses

Similarity and confidence are often analyzed in relation to eyewitness accuracy. Duds, highly dissimilar fillers, can impact an eyewitness’ accuracy and confidence. This study analyzed the impact of duds, similarity and accuracy in the context of lineup bias. This study found that in target-absent conditions there is a significant positive relationship between lineup bias and confidence. This study also found that highly similar lineups results in a lower proportion of correct identification, even in highly confident witnesses, compared to medium similar and low similar lineups. Further research should look closer at the “sweet spot” of similarity in order to advise …

Eugenics In Education Policy And The Impact On African American Students, Ruth Jones

Master's Theses

Eugenics was defined as a science which used selective breeding as a mechanism to increase desirable traits in a population while restricting and eliminating undesirable traits. Eugenicists fell out of favor in the United States after the fall of Nazi Germany. Yet, eugenic ideas continued to prevail as they heavily influenced medical, social, and academic systems in the U.S. The country’s education system still carries the legacy of eugenicists who helped to build it. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify eugenic ideas in federal, district and local school policy and determine their connection to the very local …

Breaking The Chains: Reversing The School-To-Prison Pipeline Through The Academic Experiences Of Formerly Incarcerated Black Males, Folasade Ogunbanwo

Master's Theses

This case study explores the academic experiences of formerly incarcerated Black males. The goal of the case study is to inform policymakers and critical race scholars who take interest in the prison-to-school pipeline and ultimately dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The historical impact of slavery has manifested into this vicious pipeline and the overrepresentation of Black males in the prison industrial complex. This case study is to demonstrate how the net is casted on those affected by the incarceration system and that break the cycle for themselves by pursuing an education to create an upward academic trajectory.

Full Issue, Gabriel Benson, Savannah Stevens

Augsburg Honors Review

No abstract provided.

Prospects For Justice And Accountability In Syria, Alexis Staubus

Augsburg Honors Review

In recent years, the international community has closely monitored the actions of Syrian president, Bashar-al Assad. Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, President Assad has continued to incite widespread violence throughout Syria by committing mass atrocities that violate international laws. There is evidence to provide proof of President Assad’s connection to his crimes and that his crimes have killed and displaced millions of Syrians. However, the legalities of indicting a head of state and the special interests between the members of the United Nations Security Council create obstacles that make prosecuting President Assad near impossible in …

School-To-Prison Pipeline And Its Infestation In Black And Brown Communities, Sofia Goetz

Augsburg Honors Review

In the United States there is the belief that a quality education, and education as a whole, is child’s ticket to a prosperous and successful life. It was Thomas Jefferson who went as far as to say that it is incredibly important to “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people...they are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty”.1 Jefferson’s belief about the United States was meant to extend into the future, but this moral value and commitment was never extended to low income communities, and especially communities of color - almost as if the privilege …

Use Of Elizabeth Moys Classification Scheme In The Management Of Law Collections In Nigeria, Lucky Stephen Godwin Mr., Adebiyi Anthony Adepoju Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In order to diligently pursue legal profession, as an undergraduate law student in a reputable institution like ours, Redeemer’s university, Nigeria, law students must cultivate the habit of an in-depth research capacity so as to articulate their minds on the legal research which lawyers are known for. As required by the law profession regulating body like Council of Legal Education that any university willing to train students to become lawyers must comply with certain criteria which among other things included the usage of Elizabeth Moys Classification Scheme in organizing law collections in law library. This paper explain the use of …

The Effect Of Lineup Size On Eyewitness Accuracy, Alyssa Baumann

Augsburg Honors Review

The research investigated the impact of the number of members in a police lineup on eyewitness identification. Participants attempted to identify the perpetrator from either a sequential or simultaneous lineup. The number of members in the lineup differed between 6 members and 12 members, simultaneous or sequential lineup presentation, and target-present or target-absent. In the target-present condition, the research was concerned with correct identifications. Thus, the 6 member simultaneous lineup should yield the most correct identifications. The 12 member simultaneous lineup should yield the second highest. The 6 and 12 member sequential lineup presentation should yield fewer correct identifications because …

May 15th, 2019, Csusb

Coyote Chronicle (1984-)

Inside This Issue

• Shelter Protest Pg. 2
• Hijab Challenge Pg. 3
• Vietnam War Pg. 7
• Nochella Pg 10

Degree Outcomes By Program 2018-19, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Student Outcomes

This is a Student Outcome and Retention Report produced by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research.

Outcomes Of Mental Health Crises When Mental Health Professionals Partner With Mental Health Deputies, Melissa Kay Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement has historically been on the frontlines of the mental health crisis. This expected role is difficult as police officers are not trained as mental health professionals. Collaboration between police officers, mental health professionals, and mental health authorities have produced integral models to assist with the mental health crisis. Crisis intervention teams (CIT), mobile crisis units, and street triage models are highlighted to gain understanding of the components of these models. This study desires to examine a collaborative, recently implemented mental health deputy grant program aimed at diverting mentally ill individuals in crisis from contact with the criminal justice …

Does Janus Vs. Afscme Signal The Death Of Mandatory Bar Associations?, Brendan Williams

Et Cetera

In Janus vs. AFSCME, a closely-divided U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 41-year-old precedent and ruled that the practice of public sector unions charging agency fees to non-members in bargaining units, without affirmative consent, was “compelled speech.” The dissent warned that the decision had weaponized the First Amendment, and noted that “almost all economic and regulatory policy affects or touches speech.”

Does the logic of Janus apply to mandatory bar association dues? There is strong evidence it does. And if it signals the death of mandatory bar associations, would that necessarily be a bad thing for the legal profession? This …

A Century In The Making: The Glorious Revolution, The American Revolution, And The Origins Of The U.S. Constitution’S Eighth Amendment, John D. Bessler

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The sixteen words in the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment have their roots in England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688–89. This Article traces the historical events that initially gave rise to the prohibitions against excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. Those three proscriptions can be found in the English Declaration of Rights and in its statutory counterpart, the English Bill of Rights. In particular, the Article describes the legal cases and draconian punishments during the Stuart dynasty that led English and Scottish parliamentarians to insist on protections against cruelty and excessive governmental actions. In describing the grotesque punishments of …

In Defense Of Hybrid Representation: The Sword To Wield And The Shield To Protect, Kelly Rondinelli

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Subject Index (V. 60)

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Developing And Validating A Fast And Accurate Method To Quantify 18 Antidepressants In Oral Fluid Samples Using Spe And Lc-Msms, Sanghee S. Shin

Student Theses

Antidepressant drugs are one of the most widely used medicines for treating major depressive disorders for long time periods. Oral fluid (OF) testing offers an easy and noninvasive sample collection. Detection of antidepressants in OF is important in clinical and forensic settings, such as therapeutic drug monitoring and roadside testing for driving under influence. We developed and validated a comprehensive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for 18 antidepressants (amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, clomipramine, cyclobenzaprine, desipramine, desvenlafaxine, doxepin, duloxetine, fluoxetine, imipramine, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone, trimipramine, venlafaxine) in oral fluid collected by Quantisal® oral collection devices. 0.5 mL of Quantisal® …

Justice Begins Before Trial: How To Nudge Inaccurate Pretrial Rulings Using Behavioral Law And Economic Theory And Uniform Commercial Laws, Michael Gentithes

William & Mary Law Review

Injustice in criminal cases often takes root before trial begins. Overworked criminal judges must resolve difficult pretrial evidentiary issues that determine the charges the State will take to trial and the range of sentences the defendant will face. Wrong decisions on these issues often lead to wrongful convictions. As behavioral law and economic theory suggests, judges who are cognitively busy and receive little feedback on these topics from appellate courts rely upon intuition, rather than deliberative reasoning, to resolve these questions. This leads to inconsistent rulings, which prosecutors exploit to expand the scope of evidentiary exceptions that almost always disfavor …

“You Have To Want It”: A Pervasive Mental Model Of Addiction Recovery And Its Implications For Sustaining Change, Erin Stringfellow

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Background: Addiction to illicit drugs is a complex phenomenon characterized by cyclical patterns of relapse, remission, and, for some, a full recovery. People who use drugs (PWUD) and their loved ones form ‘mental models’ of recovery that develop over time through experience and observation. The role of these mental models and how they interact to undermine or support recovery is poorly understood. Therefore, this study asks: 1) What do people who use drugs and their loved ones believe it takes to successfully recover from addiction? and 2) Given these beliefs about recovery and the available evidence on remission, relapse, and …

Interacting The School-To-Prison And Stem Pipelines: A Multiple Method Exploration Of The Relationships Among Exclusionary Discipline And Math, Jason F. Jabbari

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Despite the belief that the discipline and academics are fundamentally related, opposing student opportunity structures, such as the School to Prison (STP) pipeline and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) pipeline, are often studied as separate phenomena. As a result, previous research has been limited in its ability to explore problems and seek solutions to the overrepresentation of students of color in the STP pipeline and the underrepresentation of students of color in the STEM pipeline. By examining these phenomena in concert with each other, this three-article dissertation provides important insights into both the individual and institutional factors that …

Lessons Of A Failed Study: Lone Research, Media Analysis, And The Limitations Of Bracketing, Katherine Gregory

Publications and Research

Failed research can function as the underbelly of all qualitative research projects that come to fruition. These shadow projects offer invaluable insights to future research and researchers alike. In this article, I trace a failed life history of sex offenders project from its conceptualization to its abandonment, after conducting a series of searches on the online National Sex Offender Registry database. Through the use of preliminary field notes and an analysis of media representations, I examine the role of bracketing of the topic, as a by-product of the phenomenological tradition, and other methodological issues such as physical and emotional vulnerability …

Evaluation Of The Availability And Use Of Information Resources And Services By Sandwich Students: A Case Study Of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State., Albert O. Adetunji, Taofeek Abiodun Oladokun

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Part-time and Distance education is fast gaining global acceptance with millions of enrolments annually. Stakeholders have argued that, just like regular students, those who chose this mode of study deserve the highest quality services available. As a result, Library and Information service providers are seeking to understand this group of users in order to properly meet their information needs and design services that best fit their unique characteristics. The study thus examined the availability and use of Library and Information Services by Part-time, Students at Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. A self administered questionnaire was used to gather data. …