Legal Studies Commons^™

Perceptions Of Lengthy Sentences For Youth: A Survey Of Michigan Residents, Tarika Daftary Kapur, Aliya Brimbaum, Miguel Murillo

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Examining The Spread Of Plea Bargaining, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Judicial Resistance To New York’S 2020 Criminal Legal Reforms, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Private Prosecutions, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Virtual Testimony Post-Covid, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Footwear Image Quality Classification: Using Subjective Assessments And Objective Image Metrics To Predict Impression Quality, En-Tni Lin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shoeprints deposited during the commission of a crime vary in quality as a function of numerous factors, such as substrates, media, and the specific physical activities carried out by perpetrators. This variability in impression quality impacts the amount of information available from questioned crime scene impressions, and therefore an examiner's confidence in providing opinions of source attribution. In response, this research attempted to characterize footwear impression quality based on image sharpness, contrast, entropy, homogeneity, noise, quantity of information, and complexity, and to integrate these hand-engineered feature descriptions with subjective opinions of impression quality.

The methodology followed a five-pronged approach. First, …

Meta-Analysis Of Scent Detection Canines And Potential Factors Influencing Their Success Rates, Molly Marie Jaskinia

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Objective: This is a meta-analysis focused on the success rates of scent detection canines and potential factors that could influence their accuracy. A series of statistical analyses were conducted to determine if certain demographic factors, such as the dog’s gender, age, and breed, have an effect on a scent dog’s accuracy during a search. Or if more circumstantial factors, like the dog’s level of experience in scent work, the type of target scent, and their handler’s awareness of the target’s location, affect the outcome of the search.

Materials and Methods: A dataset was created from 37 different articles consisting of …

A Commentary On Qualified Immunity In The Aftermath Of City Of Tahlequah V. Bond, Delores Jones-Brown, Paul Reck, Richard C. Helfers, Henry F. Fradella

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Article, we argue that the Bond decision continues a line of judicial decisions that make it difficult for plaintiffs to seek civil redress against officers who cause serious injury or death to private citizens. We note that this judicial trend runs counter to public demand for police accountability and thwarts the legislative intent behind the enactment of 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. We suggest that police practice, policy, standards and training-not judicial opinions ­should govern whether officers will be immune from the conse­quences of their actions, especially in areas where a substantial amount of empirical evidence exists to alert …

The Role Of Procedural Justice In Policing: A Qualtative Assessment Of African Americans' Perceptions And Experiences In A Large Us City, Daniel K. Pryce, Ingrid Phillips Whitaker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Empirical studies have pointed to the increasing importance of procedural justice as a tool for improving the relationship between the police and local communities. The mediating role of procedural justice continues to be embraced by scholars, practitioners, and community members; as a result, we examine in the present study African Americans’ attitudes toward the police via the interpretive lens of procedural justice policing. Using procedural justice questions found in the social-psychology literature, we interviewed seventy-seven African Americans in Durham, NC, to assess their views about the U.S. police. Our results point to the following for improving the relationship between the …

Population Variations Of Cheiloscopy Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Observation Pilot Study, Emily Smith Regan, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Ann M. Bruhn, Walter Melvin, Sinjini Sikdar

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose Lip prints are unique and have potential for use as a human identifier. The purpose of this study was to observe possible cheiloscopy differences of individuals with and without parafunctional oral habits such as smoking, vaping, playing a wind instrument or using an asthma inhaler.

Methods This IRB approved blinded cross-sectional observation pilot study collected lip prints from sixty-six individuals, three of which were excluded. Participants cleansed their lips, then lipstick was applied to the vermillion zones of the upper and lower lips. Adhesive tape was applied to the lips and prints were transferred to white bond paper for …

Sentence Length And Perceptions Of Dangerousness As A Function Of Race, Attributional Complexity, And Ability To Meet Bail, Hannah Baldwin

Psychology Theses

Defendant race and ethnicity impact sentencing length decisions, leading to discrimination in the criminal justice system. Aspects of the pretrial process that strongly correlate with a defendant’s socioeconomic status, the use of cash bail, may also influence sentencing length, given the negative stereotypes about individuals of lower socioeconomic statuses. Relatively few studies have explored the impact of cash bail use on sentencing decisions or sought to understand why use of cash bail might influence these decisions. The current study investigates the impact of defendant ability to meet bail (yes v. no) on judgments of sentence length and dangerousness within the …

Variation In Ohio Police Response To Mental Health Crises, Brett Dietrich

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following paper aims to identify and explain variation in Ohio police department methods of response to calls for service (CFS) involving mental health crises. Police response to mentally ill or disturbed individuals has become a topic of increased discussion in recent decades. Communities have attempted to bring reform to this area with alternative solutions, including specially trained police officers, co-response with social workers, or community-based response teams. Geographic and demographic factors such as police department size, population served, and availability of mental health resources impact how communities and police departments approach this issue. This paper consists of a literature …

Underrepresentation Of Black Participants In Drug Court: Reasons Reported For Non-Admission In Six Jurisdictions, Kathryn J. Genthon

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the beneficial impacts of drug court participation, access to these programs may not be equitable across racial groups. The reasons behind racial disparities in access to these programs are not well-documented in the current literature. This study investigates disparities in access to drug court and the possible reasons they occur. Chi-square tests are used to assess for disparities in admissions between Black and White individuals referred to drug court. Additional statistical analyses addressed the association of sex and age with admission to provide a broader picture of the impact of a variety of demographic characteristics on admission to drug …

Evaluation Of Cytokeratin-Specific Antibody And Autofluorescent Signals As Predictors Of Time Since Deposition For Saliva Samples, Dillon Ryder

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In a forensic investigation, STR profiles generated from biological evidence can frequently be informative to identify an individual or provide an investigative lead. However, STR typing does not provide information to answer activity-level questions which can be highly important to a criminal case, such as the Time Since Deposition (TSD) of biological evidence. Determining the relative time in which a biological sample was left at a crime scene would provide additional information regarding the timeline of a crime and a person of interest’s relationship to the scene. One proposed method of estimating TSD is to use flow cytometry to analyze …

Horizontal And Vertical Transmission Of Microbes Associated With Blow Flies Of Forensic Importance, Gabrielle Alisa Burton

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Entomological and microbiological evidence can be used in the estimation of postmortem intervals (PMI). This study observes the horizontal and vertical transmission of the microbial community associated with blow flies of forensic importance. Variable region four (V4) of the 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) was amplified and sequenced from various life stages of blow flies (n=72) using dual-index high throughput sequencing strategy on the MiSeq FGx platform. No significant difference in bacterial community structure was observed between blowfly adults with carrion access and blowfly adults with no carrion access. Dysgonomonas, unclassified Proteobacteria, Escherichia, Ignatzschia, Providencia, …

Bones As An Alternative Matrix For The Detection Of New Synthetic Opioids In Cold Cases: Introducing New Animal Models For Bone:Blood Correlation Studies, Kala N. Babb

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Introduction: The growing opioid epidemic in North America presents a call to action to develop new techniques for the identification and quantitation of novel synthetic opioids in uncommon matrices. In instances of extreme decomposition and/or significant scavenging, bone may be the only matrix available. In order to develop an extraction method for synthetic opioids in bone, bone samples were obtained from animal models. The animal model of choice is the rabbit due to their exhibition of spontaneous cortical bone remodeling, a process that is exhibited in humans but not in rats and mice.

Methods: An extraction method was developed to …

Assessment Of The Acidified Hydrogen Peroxide Method On Uncontrolled Fired Cartridge Case Samples, Kylie S. Richardson

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The use of fingerprints to identify individuals in forensic cases has been useful for many years due to the persistence and individuality of the prints. In addition, the presence of firearms in forensic casework is steadily increasing over the years. This study aims to expand upon prior research in the development and recovery of latent prints on fired, brass ammunition using an acidified hydrogen peroxide method. Although latent prints are left on the cartridge casing of ammunition during the handling and loading of ammunition into the firearm, it is hypothesized that the pressure within the barrel of the firearm during …

Investigation Into The Relationship Between Dna Content And Dna Yield Prediction And Presence Of A Multiple Contributor Cell Population In Trace Dna, Sarah Holton Roisch

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Due to advancements in DNA analysis technology and an increased ability to detect trace quantities of low template DNA, ‘touch’ or trace DNA has become a prevalent form of evidence for forensic investigations. Trace DNA is biological material left on a surface from skin cells after being touched or handled. The success rate of casework could be improved with new methods to non-destructively screen trace DNA to predict DNA yield and whether multiple cell populations are present in the evidence prior to STR analysis. Current methods of trace DNA analysis require quantifying the sample with qPCR followed by STR analysis, …

Optimization Of Microfluidic Device Methodology For Optical Trapping Epithelial Cells In A Mixture, Brittney N. Hackworth

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Evidence containing biological mixtures can make DNA interpretation more difficult due to ambiguous allele calls and artifacts that may be present within electropherograms. Separating out these cell mixtures can be advantageous to the analysts’ analysis methods for identifying STR profiles with higher accuracy. A potential cell separation method that could be implemented in the beginning of the forensic DNA workflow is optical trapping.

This research utilized a 5W ytterbium linearly polarized laser split into two optical traps, paired with a microfluidic device to isolate spermatozoa and vaginal epithelial cells from a 1:1 mixture of vaginal fluid and 1:20 diluted seminal …

Comparison Of Cell Counts To Dna Yield In Mock Biological Evidence Samples, Jacob Sewell

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The implementation of rapid DNA analysis systems is of interest to forensic DNA casework, as this technology exhibits a sample-to-profile time of approximately two hours with limited handling of samples. This decreases the likelihood of contamination, and can potentially reduce DNA backlogs; however, current rapid DNA analysis systems do not execute one crucial step of the forensic DNA analysis workflow: human DNA quantitation. This step is necessary for DNA profiles to be compliant with the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standard 9.4, allowing DNA profiles to be uploaded and searched within the CODIS database. Coupling traditional qPCR methods with rapid DNA analysis …

Development And Validation Of Microrna Markers For Forensic Body Fluid Identification Using Rt-Qpcr, Jane Goble

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Body fluid identification is one of the first and most fundamental steps in the forensic DNA workflow. It allows analysts to determine where a sample might exist on an item of evidence, as well as the type of sample that they are dealing with. However, current serological methods have been documented to produce false or inaccurate results in some cases, and may consume large amounts of sample during processing. Molecular methods, such as the use of microRNA and microbial profiles have been introduced as a means to increase specificity of testing, and have even been combined into a singular assay …

Evaluation Of Direct-To-Amplification Cell Lysis Techniques For Forensically Relevant Non-Sperm Cells, Rhea Arya

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

While efforts have been made to reduce the pervasive backlog of sexual assault evidence collection kits, the actual laboratory process remains very time-consuming due to the requirement of a differential lysis step before DNA purification, as well as intricate mixture analysis towards the end of the DNA workflow. Previous work in the Dawson Green laboratory at VCU has developed alternative solutions for differential extractions with sexual assault samples using both an in-tube and microdevice assay. Prior work led to the identification of an alternative sperm lysis method – alkaline lysis using 1M NaOH. However, the current lysis method used for …

Evaluation Of The Age Of Evidence In Mock Biological Touch Evidence Samples, Emma P. Hirst

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

As more sensitive DNA profiling techniques have been developed, questions about how and when the DNA was deposited have become a driving issue in forensic casework. Image flow cytometry (IFC) offers a way to estimate the time since deposition (TSD) of trace DNA samples based on individual cells' morphological and autofluorescence properties. Previous work has shown that a TSD can be determined from a single contributor in touch samples. To determine if TSD could be correctly estimated for mixtures containing a fresh deposit (less than a week old) and an older deposit, this project characterized a series of samples that …

Analysis Of Forensic Relevant Cell Mixtures Using Cellular Autofluorescence And Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (Facs), Shayla Smith

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Biological mixtures containing DNA from more than one contributor can make DNA profile interpretation challenging, especially for ‘touch’ or trace biological evidence. One approach to improve this is by differentiating cell populations from separate individuals prior to DNA profiling by utilizing intrinsic features of cells such as size, shape, and biochemical profiles. The goal of this study was to develop a new method for detecting and separating contributor populations in biological mixture samples using flow cytometry, a rapid and non-destructive approach with an unexplored potential for forensic casework. To accomplish this, two different mixture systems were investigated (1) mixtures containing …

Determination Of The Trace Elemental Signature Of Drywall Dust And Its Implication As Forensic Evidence, Emilee Holmes

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Drywall is found in most homes built in the United States of America because it is cost effective, light weight, and easy to install. Its brittle nature makes it less resistant to impact which can cause dust to form if a force is exerted on it. Airborne dust can settle on anything or anyone around it and can be considered trace evidence for its ability to connect suspects, victims, and scenes; however, this type of dust is not emphasized as trace evidence and is not always collected due to a lack of understanding of their forensic signatures.The seven producers of …

Utilizing Gc-Ms To Determine The Effect Of Solvent Extraction Parameters On Forensic Smokeless Powder Analysis, Leighann R. Weber

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Since its invention in 1884, smokeless powder has been of scientific interest. During World War II, research initially focused on developing methods to evaluate powders' stability. However, today, the focus has shifted to developing instrumental techniques sufficient for forensic classification and comparison work. Smokeless powder is typically encountered in forensic science casework involving firearms and explosives. In forensic investigations, determining the exact formulation of smokeless powders is challenging due to their complex chemistry and the proprietary nature of production. LC-MS and GC-MS techniques have been used to analyze intact and post-blast smokeless powders. Despite the vast amount of research that …

Evaluation Of Tooth Sample Preparation For Traditional Forensic Dna Vs Rapidhit Id Processing, Morgan E. Eaton

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) refers to the process of forensic identification of unknown individuals following a mass disaster or fatality incident.¹ In events of mass disaster, human dental structures are often the only viable DNA source remaining, as soft tissues are more easily degraded, contaminated, or otherwise compromised. Due to the protective nature of dental enamel and dentin surrounding the inner pulpal tissue, a labor-intensive sample preparation performed by extensively trained personnel is necessary to expose the nuclear material preceding the traditional forensic DNA workflow.^2,3 In high volume cases, such as those often submitted for DVI, the current …

Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures For The Identification Of Vaginal Cells In Mixture Samples Containing Saliva And/Or Epidermal Cells, Hannah L. Burden

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In forensic casework the identification of body fluids at a crime scene can frequently play an important role in reconstructing the events that occurred. There are several bodily fluid identification methods to characterize unknown stains recovered as evidence. However, there has not been a reliable method for detecting the presence vaginal cells and/or differentiate it from other forensically relevant tissue types that may be recovered from a crime scene. The detection of vaginal fluid is important for forensic casework due to the abundance of sexual assault kits that are not only backlogged but continue to be submitted to the lab …

Bail And Mental Illness, Samuel Wiseman

Faculty Scholarship

In many parts of the United States, the bail system is strikingly unfair, imposing burdensome, and often unmeetable, financial conditions on pretrial liberty even for low-risk defendants. Reforms that reduce or eliminate cash bail and lower pretrial detention rates have made progress in recent years, but now face growing opposition even in generally progressive jurisdictions such as San Francisco and New York City. One source of this opposition is rising concern about crime—particularly crime associated with the unhoused, who disproportionately suffer from mental illness, including substance abuse disorder. This is not a coincidence, as one effect of a cash-bail system, …

Teaching Forensic Entomology With Common Grocery Items: Decomposition And Insect Succession Studies, Erin Bauer, Charles Murrieta, Larry Barksdale

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Forensic science and entomology programs may benefit from using deceased pigs as teaching resources due to anatomical similarities to humans. The use of such animals provides opportunities for students to learn the effects of geographical location and climate on insects; understand insect succession; practice insect collection and identification; and learn post-mortem interval procedures, taphonomic principles of decomposition, and crime scene investigation and management techniques. Forensic entomology and taphonomic studies fit well with educational interests in experiential learning. Pigs may be readily available through animal science departments or local producers, and many institutions may have property where this research can be …