Estimation of time in forensic biology and pathology. An introductory review

Timing is an extremely important factor in the practice of forensic biology and pathology. This review offers an opportunity for evaluating the time at which an injury could have taken place and thus its chronologic age. Both the macroscopic and microscopic aspects of the injury are discussed. The use of histochemical techniques using the study of enzymes as a basis of the technique is discussed. Histamine and serotonin techniques are also discussed and their applications in practical cases including a traffic accident are presented. The field is discussed and references given in large numbers.     

The Game of Probation

The structure, purpose, and procedure of probation, including the relationship between a probationer and a probation officer, are explained and discussed. The game theory model of decision-making and rational choice theory are discussed and applied to the relationship between a probationer and a probation officer as a basis for increasing the probationer’s likelihood of success. Applications and recommendations for both parties officers are discussed.     

Heroin dependence as a rare cause of symmetrical globus pallidus necrosis

Long-term survival after carbon monoxide intoxication has been accepted for a long time as pathognomonic for elective cerebral tissue damage, especially in cases of isolated symmetrical necrosis of the globus pallidus. The results of old bilateral necrosis in the globus pallidus are described in a case of an acute heroin death after long-term drug abuse. The evaluation of such cerebral changes is discussed as they have to be interpreted as hypoxic or oligemic tissue damage. The different causes of symmetrical necrosis of the globus pallidus that are relevant for legal medicine are compiled and discussed.     

Joint custody: a comprehensive review

This article presents a comprehensive overview of joint custody. The history and legislative implications are discussed, as are pertinent issues relative to the reported advantages and disadvantages of joint custody. Finally, the role of the mental health professional in assisting with counseling divorced families either before, during, or after a custody decision is discussed.     

Gunshot injuries of the brain caused by air pressure guns

The article describes the historical and legal basis, as well as the ballistic criteria of injuries caused by air-rifle shots to the head. Six of our own cases of craniocerebral air-gun pellet injuries are discussed and critically assessed, using the results communicated in other papers as the basis of the discussion. The different post-traumatic complications, including the histopathological reaction of the brain to lead-pellets, are considered. The literature is reviewed and the indications for stereotactic removal or craniotomy of intracranial air-gun pellets are discussed. Air rifles, while occasionally the cause of serious head injuries, are rarely thought of as lethal weapons. However, this article illustrates the potential penetrating power of the air-gun pellet, a fact not always appreciated by physicians.     

Moore’s Truths About Causation and Responsibility: A Reply to Alexander and Ferzan

In this response to the review of Moore, Causation and Responsibility, by Larry Alexander and Kimberly Ferzan, previously published in this journal, two issues are discussed. The first is whether causation, counterfactual dependence, moral blame, and culpability, are all scalar properties or relations, that is, matters of more-or-less rather than either-or. The second issue discussed is whether deontological moral obligation is best described as a prohibition against using another as a means, or rather, as a prohibition on an agent strongly causing a prohibited result that was not about to happen anyway while intending to do so.     

Taking Silk: An Empirical Study of the Award of Queen's Counsel Status 1981–2015

This article considers which junior barristers are appointed to the rank of Queen's Counsel. The criticisms of the old appointments system are discussed and statistical methods are used to assess whether the changes to the QC appointments system introduced in 2004 improved the prospects of appointment for groups, such as women, that were disadvantaged by the previous system. The results show that under the reformed system groups that were historically less likely to be appointed QCs, such as women, continue to be so. However it is discussed how this may (partly) be attributable to lower rates of application, rather than unfair discrimination among applicants.     

College education for police: Problems in measuring component and extraneous variables

There is a need for the better control of methods when measuring the impact of college education on police. Current findings are generally drawn from a base of inadequately designed research that leaves us without a firm picture of the effects of a college education. Design problems are discussed centering on the difficulties associated with controlling for component and extraneous variables. Particular attention is devoted to the primary subconcepts inherent in the global concept “college education.” The factors of duration, environment, emphasis, and mix are discussed as central considerations of research design.     

The routine profiling of forensic heroin samples

A method for the routine profiling of illicit heroin samples received in casework has been developed which depends on simple and straightforward sample pretreatment, followed by gas chromatography on a capillary column using flame-ionization detection. The factors affecting the choice of each aspect of the procedure are discussed, as are the statistical data for sampling and the chromatography. Components of illicit heroin derived from opium and other adulterants have been identified. The significance of data from samples examined in 1986 is discussed.     

The computer and the law: coordinate analysis of skull shape and possible methods of postmortem identification.

Mechanisms accelerating or retarding the disintegration of soft tissues are briefly discussed, as well as the need to reconstruct the missing profile for postmortem identification purposes. The application of X-ray and computer-based analyses is discussed in the context of providing data to predict and reconstruct the most probable soft tissue profile of a dry skull. In addition, information from extensive studies of the facial bones and profiles of veterans has been applied to methods in forensic medicine of determining age, sex, and racial background of unknown subjects.     

The Incidence of Wife Abuse and Battering and Some Sociodemographic Correlates as Revealed by Two National Surveys in Palestinian Society

Over the past 3 decades, wife abuse and battering has become a major concern throughout the world. However, there is a serious dearth of empirical knowledge about different dimensions of the problem in the Arab world. This article documents the incidence of different patterns of abuse and battering as revealed in two national surveys conducted among Palestinian women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Systematic random samples of 2,410 women and 1,334 women participated in the first and second surveys, respectively. The annual incidence of psychological, sexual, and economic abuse as well as physical violence are presented, and some of their sociodemographic correlates are discussed in relation to each of the two surveys. The limitations of the two surveys and implications of their results for future research and theory development are also discussed.     

Psychopathologic manifestations of oral administration of endemic nightshade plants]

Psychopathological findings in two cases of oral poisoning with toxins of "Datura stramonium" (thorn apple) and "Hyoscyamus niger" (insane roof) are reported. Toxicological aspects of voluntary ingestion are discussed as well as the forensic importance of criminal poisoning.     

Death by power car window. An unrecognized hazard.

The unusual accidental asphyxial death of a 26-month-old girl involving a car power window is reported. The circumstances and investigation results are discussed, as well as how such tragedies may be avoided.     

Drug policies: A study of the opinions of local law enforcement patrol officers about various policy alternatives

The article briefly reviews some literature describing the scope and seriousness of psychoactive substance misuse in the United States and then examines some chronic problems in the nature of public policy analysis. A methodology. Conceptual Review, is briefly discussed as a plausible alternative to contemporary approaches. Data from n=100 patrol officers who completed the Drug Policy Questionnaire (DPQ) are presented. Patrol officers were highly supportive of conventional policies, e.g., prevention, education, and treatment, but also recommended more punitive approaches, e.g., imprisonment for both dealers and users. Legalization was rejected as a viable policy alternative. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed.     

Drug testing in the criminal justice work place

This article investigates the use of drug testing to combat drug use and abuse by criminal justice personnel. Arguments for and against drug testing are discussed, as well as the current legal status of employees. The implications and future legal trends of drug testing of criminal justice personnel are analyzed.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder’s Traumatic Stressor Criterion: History, Controversy, and Clinical and Legal Implications

This paper discusses posttraumatic stress disorder’s (PTSD) traumatic stressor criterion (Criterion A) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The history of the stressor criterion is detailed, including how it has changed over time in successive versions of the DSM. We discuss controversy over the stressor criterion, regarding arguments about whether it is too conservative or too liberal. Studies comparing Criterion A and non-Criterion A events in their association with PTSD are discussed, including the finding across studies that non-Criterion A events are just as (or more) likely to result in PTSD. Potential explanations to account for this finding are discussed, including presentation of solutions to Criterion A’s limitations. Finally, legal implications for Criterion A in evaluating individuals presenting with PTSD in civil and criminal cases are discussed.     

The socialization of jurors the voir dire as a rite of passage

The socialization of jurors, which takes place as a latent function of the voir dire, is described in terms of the distinct experiences that constitute the passage from the status of “ordinary citizen” to membership in the courtroom social setting. Implications of the lack of this voir dire socialization on mock jury research are discussed. Future research on the significance of the juror role and the extent to which the socialization during voir dire helps jurors set aside their normal decision-making rules are also discussed.     

The forensic investigation of propane gas asphyxiation

Two unusual suicides of a 19-year-old white man and a 47-year-old white man, involving propane inhalation and plastic bag suffocation, are described. The special characteristics of propane gas as an asphyxiant agent are discussed, as well as its effect on the human body. The discussion emphasizes the postmortem examination and the collection of samples for toxicologic analysis.     

Identification of fragmented bodies in large-scale accidents

Organizational aspects of the forensic medical expertise of fragmented corpses in cases of huge death-rolls are discussed. Algorithm of identification examinations; principle requirements applicable to expert's examinations in cases when the objects of examination are brought in within some time intervals; as well as peculiarities and methods of registration, of separate examinations and of classification of objects are under consideration.