#95: The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science and the Attack on Firearm Identification

In this episode, John Collins provides a thought-provoking and direct follow-up to episode #94, which covered the Oregon appellate court ruling in State v. Adams. In Adams, the court rejected the science of firearm identification and reversed the conviction. John explains the recent historical forces that have made forensic science a target of criminal justice reform activists, while providing encouragement to forensic practitioners in maintaining their professionalism and credibility as expert witnesses. He also calls out what he describes as “courtroom science activists” who’ve made it a professional mission to eliminate credible, legitimate forensic methods from America’s courtrooms. In doing so, he poses a daunting question to these activists: Should James Fulton Foster, the innocent man whose conviction was overturned thanks to a firearm identification, been put to death? Season:  5 Episode:  95 Duration:  1:05:33 YOUTUBE CHANNELS Main Podcast Channel Highlights Channel FROM OUR SPONSOR Learn About the Innovators at Promega International Symposium on Human Identification REFERENCED RESOURCES Episode Transcript (PDF) Article by Oregonian/Oregon Live Court Ruling in State v. Adams Book: Crime Lab Report James Fulton Foster Exoneration (News Archive) James Fulton Foster (National Registry of Exonerations) Article: The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science Article: Contextual Contamination of Forensic Evidence by Post Conviction Litigators 2009 NRC Report on Forensic Science 2016 PCAST Report on Forensic Feature Comparison Methods The Innocence Project ABOUT YOUR HOST John Morrey Collins is a leadership and expertise coach specializing in working with clients in authoritative, high-stakes occupations, but with a primary emphasis on serving leaders, professionals, and organizations that support our complicated systems of criminal and civil justice. John started his private practice, Critical Victories, in 2013 after retiring his award-winning, 20-year career as a forensic laboratory scientist and executive administrator, having served as the Director of Forensic Science for the State of Michigan. His forensic technical expertise was in the examination and testing of firearms and firearm-related evidence, having provided expert courtroom testimony