The use of bloodhounds in determining the impact of genetics and the environment on the expression of human odortype

Bloodhounds are used to trail fleeing felons and missing persons. In order to start a trail, the dog must be presented with a person's scent. There are many hypotheses on what a bloodhound smells while trailing. The present study attempts to identify whether human scent is genetic, and if it is influenced by one's environment. Bloodhounds trained in human scent discrimination were used to differentiate between monozygotic twins, related and nonrelated persons, living together and apart. The first test required the dogs to run blind trails after being presented with the scent of one person in the pair, while the opposite person was hidden. The second test allowed the dogs to trail one person in the pair after both people were hidden. Results appear to demonstrate that bloodhounds rely heavily on genetic cues when differentiating between people. Environmental cues do not appear to significantly aid the bloodhound in scent discrimination.     

庭审直播的根据与规则

庭审直播有一个历史发展的过程.从各国对庭审录音录像和电视直播的法律规定来看,大多数国家对电视直播持开放的态度.我国法律没有对庭审直播问题作明确规定.审判应当以适应时代发展需要的形式对外公开.对公开审理的案件,可以进行庭审直播和录音录像才是常态,而不允许如此才是一种例外.在进行直播时,一要坚持设备使用的"三无"规则:无声音、无特殊光亮、无大幅度的动作;二要根据法庭的决定来确定使用何种形式的设备;三要禁止对法庭上某些特殊的人进行拍摄.另外,是否庭审直播的决定应当由法官作出.     

Worthy of Justice: A Veterans Treatment Court in Practice

This article examines the purpose and practice of a Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), a new type of problem-solving court designed to connect qualifying former service members in the criminal justice system with social services. While existing studies of VTCs explain these courts by focusing on veterans' distinct needs or deservingness based on their military service, this article argues that these courts are being created because of societal beliefs about veteran worth. By revealing how court staff, participants, and volunteers in one VTC invoke beliefs about veteran worth, the findings of this study show that VTCs link worth to veteran identity, leaving participants suspended in conflicting notions of state and individual responsibility for criminal behavior.     

Regulatory enforcement in the presence of a court system

The responsibilities of a regulatory agency involved in the law enforcement process vary considerably. In this paper we consider three different legal procedures in the process of law enforcement: First, we assume that the regulatory agency is in charge of the detection of offenses. Conviction takes place via court trial. Second, we assume that the regulatory agency has the power to fine an individual if there is some evidence that he did not comply with the law. An individual who has been fined by the agency has the right to lodge an appeal. If he makes use of this right, the question whether or not he complied with the law will be reconsidered. Here we discuss two different legal procedures: The case is decided by court, and the regulatory agency is required to provide sufficient evidence for its decision. Or, the agency reconsiders its decision and decides whether or not to press charges in court. We formalize these three legal procedures in a game-theoretic context and analyze the implications of the procedural regulations on the decision of a potential offender to behave illegally.     

Electronic banking and how courts approach the evidence

Banking systems are so complex, that it is essential for a court to fully understand the weaknesses to be able to assess the evidence when faced with dealing with disputed transactions involving ATMs and on-line banking. A bank will make every effort to restrict the amount of evidence it has to provide to prove its case, but it is for the judge to be aware of the characteristics of electronic evidence, so that a fair trail can be conducted. This article considers the burden of proof in banking cases, and argues that not every court has succeeded in providing a claimant with a fair trial of the evidence.     

德国刑事司法实践中证人拒绝作证的新发展——从两个案例出发

中国学界近年一直激烈讨论外国法中的＂非法证据排除制度＂,其中包括德国刑事诉讼法中的证据禁止制度。对于德国刑事诉讼法第55条规定的＂不得自证其罪原则＂和第52条至第54条规定的＂拒绝作证权＂的讨论尤为激烈,纷纷主张在中国建立相应的刑事诉讼制度规范,以保障犯罪嫌疑人、被告人和证人的权益。德国法判例表明,违背＂不得自证其罪原则＂将导致德国法上的证据使用禁止。另外,德国法庭审判强调直接审理原则,其中调查程序中的笔录不可以作为证据在法庭审判中宣读,甚至对于传闻证据——调查程序中进行审讯的警察和检察官——也不可以作为证人出庭作证。     

The Differentiation of the Volatile Organic Signatures of Individuals Through SPME-GC/MS of Characteristic Human Scent Compounds

Abstract:  Human scent evidence is utilized as an investigative tool through canine scent discriminations based on the premise that human scent is an individualizing characteristic. This study describes the development of what is effectively a human scent barcode consisting of the relative ratios of an individual's "primary odor" compounds utilized to determine a reproducible and individualizing profile which can be stored in a searchable database for a proof of concept of human scent as a biometric measure. Triplicate hand odor samples were evaluated from 10 subjects utilizing solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) and compared via Spearman Rank Correlations. Narrowing the compounds considered for each subject to only those common in all three samples, or a subject's "primary odor constituents," produced a greater degree of both individualization and discrimination; at both correlation thresholds of 0.9 and 0.8, the individuals were correctly discriminated and identified in 99.54% of the cases.     

英美两国刑事法官的证据调查权评析

人们长期认为,英美法系的法官在法庭上一般是消极、被动地听审,却不能积极调查证据。事实上,英美两国的立法与审判实践却表明:法官可以询问证人、传唤证人出庭,或进行"庭外勘验"。尤其在没有陪审团参与的审判中,法官能更加主动地调查证据。这说明,英美两国的刑事法官并非完全消极、被动,特别是当庭审主体变为一元的职业法官时,他因对案件事实最终负责,而更加具有调查证据的天然冲动。由此可见,中国刑事法官在庭审中无需亦不能塑造成纯粹的仲裁者角色,而应保留适当的且受到法律合理规制的证据调查权。     

Military Socialization: A Motivating Factor for Seeking Treatment in a Veterans’ Treatment Court

The veterans’ treatment court movement is just beyond the nascent period, and given the rapid proliferation of these courts in recent years it is imperative that the scientific community understand their operational procedures and assess whether they are meeting a unique need beyond those addressed by other problem-solving courts. This paper provides an in-depth examination of veteran culture and how it helps to distinguish veterans’ treatment courts from other courts that focus on similar populations (e.g., drug, DWI, and mental health courts). Using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group data collected from veteran participants, veteran mentors, and court team members in Pennsylvania, we employ content analysis to explore the veteran culture as a motivator for participants to enroll in a veterans’ treatment court and engage with others throughout participation in treatment. The results of this exploratory study suggest that a shared culture serves to motivate justice-involved veterans to seek out the veterans’ treatment court over other treatment options and remain engaged in this problem-solving court, while inspiring a sense of obligation to do well in treatment for them and their fellow veterans. The shared experiences of military service and across-the-board support for fellow service members suggest that the veterans’ treatment court creates a unique environment for pursuing treatment.     

有序与效率:当事人主张的具体化义务研究——以民事诉讼为视角

民事诉讼奉行辩论主义,诉讼围绕当事人双方的攻击防御方法而展开,当事人必须就于己有利的要件事实向法院主张,基于维护对方当事人的防御利益以及证人的自我保全利益,维护法院的审理利益,促进审理的集中化,阻止当事人滥诉,当事人的攻防主张都必须要满足具体化义务的要求才能被视为是适格的主张,否则将可能因此而遭受诉讼上的不利益。由于存在证据偏在的现代型诉讼中,基于武器平等、诚信原则、证据接近、危险领域等原理,具体化义务的程度或界限在某些情形或案件类型中需要降低,以维护当事人之间的实质公平。在我国未来的民事诉讼制度构建中,应当逐步确立当事人的具体化义务。     

Trial and Error: Lawyers and Nonlawyer Advocates

Nonlawyer advocates are one proposed solution to the access to justice crisis. Theory and research suggest that nonlawyers might be effective, yet scholars know very little, empirically, about nonlawyer practice in the United States. Using data from more than 5,000 unemployment insurance appeal hearings and interviews with lawyers and nonlawyers who represent employers in these hearings, this article explores how both types of representatives develop expertise and what this means for effectiveness. We find judges play a critical role in shaping nonlawyer legal expertise and nonlawyers develop expertise almost exclusively through “trial and error.” We find evidence that while experienced nonlawyers can help parties through their expertise with common court procedures and basic substantive legal concepts, they are not equipped to challenge judges on contested issues of substantive or procedural law in individual cases, advance novel legal claims, or advocate for law reform on a broader scale. These findings have implications for future access to justice research and interventions.     

司法解释的错位与回归——以法律解释权的配置为切入点

法官在个案中作出解释是法律解释活动规律的必然要求，是我国司法活动复杂性的客观需要，是消除我国司法活动中诸多弊端的有效措施。要保障法官在个案中作出法律解释，就必须建立一支高素质的法官队伍，并为法官独立审判提供良好的环境。最高人民法院作出统一解释，是维护我国法制统一的需要，是法官在个案中寻求权威性解释的需要，是最高人民法院司法权威的体现。可以考虑在最高人民法院内部设置大法官会议，按照严格的程序，专职作出统一的法律解释。     

完善我国民事诉讼证人制度的探索

在法院的民事审判工作中,证人不出庭作证、不作证、作伪证、作假证等现象时有发生,严重地影响了法院审判工作效率的提高和对案件的公正审判,人们对我国民事诉讼证人制度的改革与完善寄以厚望。本文分析了我国现行立法在证人作证问题上的结构性缺陷,并就改革与完善我国证人作证制度提出几点建议。     

刑事简易程序审判中检察制度的完善

人民检察院对简易程序的监督作为对刑事审判监督的一部分,因简易程序的特殊性而具有其特殊的实践意义.但是现行法律对简易程序中检察制度的规定还不完善,应当改革.一是要将其对简易程序的启动决定权改为建议权;二是检察机关在简易程序中也不能进行全部案卷移送,而要遵守《刑事诉讼法》第150条的规定;三是检察机关应当参加简易程序案件审判的出庭;四是应当赋予检察机关的程序变更权.     

Evaluation of selected sorbent materials for the collection of volatile organic compounds related to human scent using non-contact sampling mode

Human scent can be collected by either contact or non-contact sampling mode. The most frequently used human scent evidence collection device known as the Scent Transfer Unit (STU-100) is a dynamic sampling device and is often used in a non-contact mode. A customized human scent collection chamber was utilized in combination with controlled odor mimic permeation systems containing five standard human scent volatiles to optimize the flow rate, collection material and geometry of the absorbent material. The scent collection method which yielded the greatest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected included the use of a single layer of Johnson and Johnson gauze/multiple layers of Dukal gauze with the STU-100 on the lowest flow rate setting. The correlation of the resulting VOC profiles demonstrate that collection of standard VOCs in controlled conditions yielded reproducible VOC profiles on all materials studied with the exception of polyester. Finally, the method was tested using actual human subjects under optimized set of conditions.     

论国际惯例在商事仲裁中的适用

商事仲裁领域向来有把非国家法律规则作为适用法的传统和冲动。仲裁庭适用国际惯例的权力依赖于当事人的协议和适用法的规定。就适用功能而言,国际惯例可以并入合同以规范当事人的行为,解释或补充国际统一法律文件和国内法,以及作为合同的准据法。仲裁庭对国际惯例的具体运用,涉及到惯例的证明、解释和适用等方面。在适用上,国际惯例可以作为查明案件事实、解释合同以及个案裁决的依据。     

当代国际刊法的新发展

大量证据显示国际刑事审判的展开促进了国际刑法的发展,而在国际刑法发展的进程中,出现了一系列新的观念和原则并逐渐得到国际社会的广泛认可,诸如灭绝种族罪、危害人类罪和战争罪的定义,以及合法性原则、补充性管辖原则、个人刑事责任原则和国际合作与司法协助原则等。国际刑事法院的建立在国际刑法制度发展中具有里程碑式的意义,联合国、联合国宪章以及联合国大会的一系列决议为国际刑法的发展发挥了至关重要的作用。     

The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results

Specially trained air scent detection canines (Canis familiaris) are commonly used by law enforcement to detect narcotics, explosives or contraband, and by fire investigators to detect the presence of accelerants. Dogs are also used by police, military, and civilian groups to locate lost or missing persons, as well as victims of natural or mass disasters. A further subspecialty is "cadaver" searching, or the use of canines to locate buried or concealed human remains. Recent forensic investigations in central Alberta demonstrated that the use of cadaver dogs could be expanded to include locating partial, scattered human remains dispersed by repeated animal scavenging. Eight dog-and-handler teams participated in a two-month training program using human and animal remains in various stages of decay as scent sources. Ten blind field tests were then conducted which simulated actual search conditions. Recovery rates ranged between 57% and 100%, indicating that properly trained cadaver dogs can make significant contributions in the location and recovery of scattered human remains.     

案卷移送主义视野下的非法证据排除规则

早在新民主主义革命时期,一些革命根据地就在刑事诉讼中形成了案卷移送主义的司法传统。在第一部刑事诉讼法典颁布以后,案卷移送主义被视为职权主义审判方式的重要配套措施。在对抗制审判方式改革和刑事诉讼法的两次修改过程中,案卷移送主义不仅由庭前移送发展到庭后移送,而且由司法层面上升到立法层面。尽管案卷移送主义在特定条件下具有一定积极意义,但是在案卷材料与法庭之间的联系没有被彻底切断的情况下,非法证据排除规则存在的必要性就会大打折扣。因为,案卷移送主义不仅导致法庭的非法证据调查流于形式,而且导致法庭难以排除受到辩护方质疑的非法证据。     

The Stability of Collected Human Scent Under Various Environmental Conditions*,†

Abstract: Human scent evidence collected from objects at a crime scene is used for scent discrimination with specially trained canines. Storage of the scent evidence is usually required yet no optimized storage protocol has been determined. Storage containers including glass, polyethylene, and aluminized pouches were evaluated to determine the optimal medium for storing human scent evidence of which glass was determined to be the optimal storage matrix. Hand odor samples were collected on three different sorbent materials, sealed in glass vials and subjected to different storage environments including room temperature, ?80°C conditions, dark storage, and UVA/UVB light exposure over a 7‐week period. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace of the samples were extracted and identified using solid‐phase micro‐extraction–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME–GC/MS). Three‐dimensional covariance mapping showed that glass containers subjected to minimal UVA/UVB light exposure provide the most stable environment for stored human scent samples.