Monday, October 02, 2017

John Oliver takes on forensic follies

Great stuff from John Oliver on HBO regarding flawed forensic science last night. Especially appreciated the shout out (at the 12:40 mark) for Texas' junk science writ!

5 comments:

Lee said...

John Oliver is awesomely funny. Great Pieces on mass incarceration, civil asset confiscation, and his attacks on Trump are strait on the mark.

Anonymous said...

Most of his audience demographics already know this or agree with it. It's the people who don't watch his show that need this information.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

Actually, 12:59, very few people know this information, even career actors in the justice system. This is one of the few national outlets focusing on it in a way that's accessible for the general public.

Anonymous said...

If you're going to be involved in the criminal justice system, then you need have some background in science/forensics. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, cops, ect... need to have knowledge of forensic science and the limitations it has. A lot of cases, from simple misdemeanor DWI, drug possession/distribution, rape, and homicide rely heavily on forensic evidence. There is simply no excuse for everyone involved to remain ignorant of the benefits and limitations of forensic science. Yes it will involve chemistry, biology, and math, but the people with law degrees cannot remain ignorant of the topics or unwilling to learn them.

Anonymous said...

@11:17-

Agreed, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of penalties for being ignorant. If it wins you cases, gets you elected, and keeps you employed, why not introduce bite mark analysis as credible evidence. Why not introduce hair comparison analysis? There's no downside, unless you're the defendant.

It's time for personal accountability for forensic scientists. They need to get their own malpractice insurance and stop hiding behind qualified immunity and big brother prosecutors.