On Wednesday October 13th the Supreme Court justices asked about an hour’s worth of questions regarding Henry Skinner’s request that a Texas district attorney turn over all existing DNA evidence in the triple murder he was convicted of in 1995. In an interview Skinner said, “Turn over the evidence and…
Over the years scientists have painstakingly mapped the DNA genome of humans, corn, turkeys and now chocolate. A researchers funded by McLean Candy Company (Mars) is almost done sequencing the genome of the cacao tree, which produces the seeds used to make cocoa. Researchers are hoping that the information will…
Results of a Texas Department of Public Safety audit on the Austin Police Department crime lab will be released this afternoon Back in July former employee Cecily Hamilton filed a complaint stating that there were mistakes with DNA testing at the crime lab. This complaint sent shock waves throughout the court…
In August a report was released regarding an investigation into North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) crime lab. Two retired FBI agents were hired to conduct the investigation following the release of Greg Taylor after 16 years in prison. The story was first reported by Reason Magazine. Reason Magazine stated that,…
Some experts believe that communities of color will be unfairly targeted with the widespread use of familial DNA testing to capture suspects. The American Civil Liberties Union is concerned with the increased use of Familial DNA Testing in the criminal justice system. In July the ALCU started the process to…
Among the cases that will be heard by the US Supreme Court this season is one from a Texas death row inmate claiming that he is innocent. Arguments on this case are scheduled to be heard on October 13th. Henry Skinner who was convicted of of the New Year’s Eve 1993 killings…
Obesity has become such a large problem world wide that in Britain there are children listed on the British social services ”at risk” register because it was assumed their parents were abusing them with deliberate overfeeding. ”In one case, one of the children had been taken into care,” said Stephen…
The ACLU is challenging a California law that requires police to collect the DNA of all suspected felons. Michael Risher an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer told the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco court Tuesday that the government should not be allowed to take the “genetic…
72 more fragments of human remains have been found in the rubble or the World Trade Center after almost 9 years. The fragments consist mainly of tiny pieces of bone were found during the process of sifting of tonnes of earth and debris recovered from Ground Zero. Two truckloads of…
Using samples of powder bone from three separate Neanderthal bones, a global team of scientists which includes Svante Pääbo, Richard E. Green, and Hernán Burbano has sequenced the Neanderthal genome. The team compared the Neanderthal genome with the genomes of five present-day humans, and uncovered a variety of genes that…