Forensic Science Reform

Wendy J. Koen is currently in private practice in Southern California. Formerly with the California Innocence Project, Ms. Koen has been part of litigation teams that successfully represented many clients in wrongful conviction cases, including the successful exoneration of Timothy Atkins, Daniel Larsen, and William Richards. In addition, Attorney Koen’s work was instrumental in changes to California’s law concerning false expert evidence, and the inception of California Penal Code Section 1473 (e)(1), giving those convicted by faulty science a clear avenue for relief. C. Michael Bowers is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. He is also the Deputy Medical Examiner in Ventura, California. Dr. Bowers is a practicing forensic dentist and consultant who has testified and worked on hundreds of cases where dental evidence has been involved. He is a former Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology, a Senior Crime Scene Analyst for the International Association for Identification (IAI) and has written other articles, chapters and books on forensic dentistry. He owns and operates his own dental practice in Ventura, CA.

• 1. Compositional Bullet Lead Analysis2. Microscopic Hair Comparison3. Arson4. Shaken Baby Syndrome5. Bite Mark Evidence6. Firearms Identification7. DNA Evidence8. Presumptive and Confirmatory Blood Testing9. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis10. Crime Scene Reconstruction11. Fingerprints

"Koen and Bowers have successfully given a voice to the forensic scientist and victims of recognised miscarriages of justice. This book shines a light on the cracks within the collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of forensic evidence. ...it succeeds in providing excellent motivation and opportunity for others to address the gaps and push for greater reform and quality assurance within forensic sciences" --CSEye"Although fitting the design of a law school course book, FORENSIC SCIENCE REFORM is just as well suited for the library in a prosecutor’s or defense counsel’s office. It is as useful a guide to the strengths and limitations of common forensic disciplines as any single text available." --Advocacy and Evidence Resources"There is a revolution in forensic science in this country and this book provides a practical, detailed, and truly fascinating guide to how much has changed in the field. Students, lawyers, and scientists will all find this book eye opening, from its explanations of research to the case studies describing how forensics can go wrong." --Brandon L. Garrett, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA