Forensic issues in cases of Diogenes syndrome

Diogenes syndrome is a syndrome described in the clinical literature in elderly individuals characterized by social isolation and extreme squalor. A number of typical features are found in the forensic evaluation of these deaths as the cases usually initiate medicolegal investigations due to the circumstances and the lack of recorded medical histories. Examinations of the death scenes are often difficult as victim's houses are in a state of disrepair, with filth and clutter, and pet dogs may resent the intrusion of strangers. Bodies are often filthy, with parasitic infestations, and are often putrefied due to the social isolation of the deceased and the delay in the finding of the corpse. Bodies may be traumatized from postmortem animal depredation by rodents or pets (eg, cats, dogs), and injuries such as bruises and lacerations may be present from falls associated with terminal illnesses or alcoholism. Blood or putrefactive fluids may be spread throughout the house by pets. Treatable medical conditions are often present in advanced stages, and features of hypothermia may be found. Attending police may suspect robbery due to disarray of the house and homicide due to apparent "bleeding" around the body from purging of putrefactive fluids, injuries from falls, or postmortem animal activity and "blood stains" throughout the house from antemortem injuries and/or fluid spread by animals. Finally, the identification of the deceased may be compromised by decay and/or postmortem animal activity. Thus, in addition to having typical clinical manifestations, such individuals appear to form a distinct subset of forensic cases having characteristic death scene and autopsy features and presenting particular difficulties in postmortem evaluations.     

Forensic science does not start in the lab: the concept of diagnostic field tests

An attempt to improve an analytical system can focus either on the actual processing or on the input. In forensic science, much emphasis has been placed on improving laboratory procedures, as though the input is already the best that can be obtained. Means of improving the basic input have gained much less attention. Yet, it must be agreed that even the best laboratory cannot gain from an item more than has been contained in it when it arrived from the field. The detection of latent materials at the crime scene by physical or chemical techniques and the diagnostic examination of material already discovered belong to the concept of diagnostic field tests. This group also includes "mapping" for the presence of certain materials, such as latent fingerprints through the distribution of amino acids on the surface. These tests are conducted outside the laboratory, without sophisticated instrumentation, at the crime scene, the suspect's home, or elsewhere. A significant advantage of the use of diagnostic field tests is the ability to deal with "dissipating evidence" such as gunshot residue or explosive traces on the hands of suspects. If time is lost, there is a risk of losing such evidence, which is liable to deteriorate rapidly. In my presentation, I will discuss older and some newly developed forensic field tests, with specific emphasis on the Israeli experience.     

2008年度全国法医类、物证类、声像资料类司法鉴定情况统计分析

2008年,司法行政机关在司法鉴定管理工作中贯彻落实中央21号文件精神和全国人大常委会《关于司法鉴定管理问题的决定》,进一步深化鉴定体制改革,促进鉴定管理工作发展。对法医类、物证类、声像资料类＂三大类＂司法鉴定的鉴定机构、鉴定人、鉴定业务情况进行统计分析,以总结经验,指导实践。     

聚焦司法鉴定过程生成的鉴定人民事责任

考察鉴定人民事责任的制度依据和法律渊源，分析我国司法鉴定过程中，鉴定人民事责任的现实基础和规范依据。并以此为出发点，探讨我国司法鉴定人民事责任的基本内涵和外延，指出其特殊之处。最后从当事人实现救济的角度出发．提出鉴定人民事责任追诉的基本设想。     

论司法鉴定人才的培养

证据问题是诉讼活动的核心问题,与诉讼的实体内容直接相关,对人民法院的审判活动有十分重要的意义。而证据的充分性则与司法鉴定人的鉴定水平和态度有关直接的关系,因此,就我国当前的形势而言,应高度重视司法鉴定人才的培养。     

Accuracy Rates of Ancestry Estimation by Forensic Anthropologists Using Identified Forensic Cases

A common task in forensic anthropology involves the estimation of the ancestry of a decedent by comparing their skeletal morphology and measurements to skeletons of individuals from known geographic groups. However, the accuracy rates of ancestry estimation methods in actual forensic casework have rarely been studied. This article uses 99 forensic cases with identified skeletal remains to develop accuracy rates for ancestry estimations conducted by forensic anthropologists. The overall rate of correct ancestry estimation from these cases is 90.9%, which is comparable to most research‐derived rates and those reported by individual practitioners. Statistical tests showed no significant difference in accuracy rates depending on examiner education level or on the estimated or identified ancestry. More recent cases showed a significantly higher accuracy rate. The incorporation of metric analyses into the ancestry estimate in these cases led to a higher accuracy rate.     

溺死的法医学鉴定

溺死的鉴定一直是基层法医鉴定工作中的难点,这是由于大部分溺死案例的特征性尸检所见很少,同时国际上很多学者对溺死的实验室检验存有疑义。本文查阅了国内外相关文献并结合作者多年来对溺死案例的实际鉴定经验,对溺死的法医学鉴定作出较系统的综述。     

司法会计鉴定与文书鉴定配合运用的效果

司法会计鉴定和文书鉴定的配合运用不仅有助于提高鉴定效率。增强鉴定的准确性和针对性，而且有助于开拓思路，发现新的线索。     

Characteristics of Forensic Imaging Performance—An Analysis of Forensic Imaging Bottlenecks

Disk imaging involves copying all of the data from a source disk drive to a target. Typically, the target for the copy is another disk drive. Forensic processes developed years ago do not appear to be adequate for current storage technology. For example, with disk drive capacities now exceeding 1 Terabyte, a typical disk imaging can take over 8 hours at typical rates. With disk drive capacities increasing, forensic copying is expected to take even longer. Along with increase in disk capacity, the industry has also seen an increase in data transfer rates. In many cases, forensic imaging is taking longer than necessary. To identify the bottlenecks, an examination of different methods used to transfer data from a source disk was performed. Factors considered were differing disk access technologies. One finding is that the USB disk access technology (version 2.0 and earlier) is a significant bottleneck for data transfer rates, especially when the USB device is a write‐blocker. Other factors that contribute to the efficiency of a forensic copy are the file system used to write a forensic image and the data transfer size used when reading from a disk drive. Optimal parameters for performing a forensic acquisition from a disk drive are identified.     

加强司法鉴定队伍管理，推进司法鉴定体制改革

本文从我国现行的司法鉴定体制入手,阐述了五十年来司法鉴定的历史成因,肯定了以往的成绩,同时指出:目前在经济利益驱动下把鉴定作为创收手段,致使证据随意变形等现象,从而引起了全社会的关注,司法鉴定成为反响最强的问题之一。由此作者提出了较为系统的司法鉴定体制改革模式、认为司法鉴定必须成为一个独立的诉讼主体,以体现公平、公正和正义。对现有公、检、法、司的司法鉴定队伍及职能须作相应调整:保留公、检的鉴定机构,撤销法院的鉴定机构,加强面向社会服务的鉴定机构,形成两种类型的司法鉴定机构,即代表国家行使司法鉴定权的公、检两机关的司法机构,面向社会服务的司法鉴定机构,通过当庭质证形成制约机制。本文还对加强司法鉴定队伍的管理和协调提出了三点思考,对队伍建设有启示作用。     

毒物鉴定信息资源介绍及法医毒物学数据库构想

信息资源作为现代社会的一种重要资源,在各专业领域中显示出其无可替代的价值。毒物鉴定同样需要专业信息的强有力支持。根据法医毒物鉴定实践的信息需求,对可能涉及的相关信息资源来源,尤其是网络在线数据库资源进行综述和评价。同时,探究了建立适合毒物鉴定专业需求的＂法医毒物数据库及其信息平台＂的可行性和设计构思,并对其应用做出展望。     

论界限性损伤的法医学鉴定

在目前的法医学鉴定中,有不少损伤的鉴定结论存在异议,追溯其原因,不全是鉴定体制或者鉴定人的主观意志所左右,有相当大一部分是由于这些损伤的特殊性造成的.这一类损伤,就是界限性损伤.     

植物物证的法医学应用

随着植物物证在案件侦破过程中的作用日益明显,应用植物学研究方法为刑事案件提供线索、证据的"法医植物学"越来越受到关注.法医植物学常用的实验技术有形态学检验、理化检验、分子遗传学检验等.本文通过整理法医植物学研究的相关文献及案例,以列举的形式简要阐述不同检验方法的利弊,总结法医植物学应用中需要注意的问题,供案件现场勘验时...     

林可霉素中毒的法医学鉴定

临床上应用林可霉素出现消化系统症状及体征等副作用,已被广大医药人员所公认.但大剂量使用林可霉素导致婴幼儿顽固性心动过速、昏厥,甚至急性心、肺机能障碍而死亡的案例较少见.近一年来,笔者连续鉴定了3例因林可霉素急性中毒的案例,现报道如下:     

司法鉴定的自我心理调节

为最大可能地减少鉴定失误,司法鉴定人的自我心理调节十分重要.受理阶段要谨防"先入为主"检验阶段要正确对诗自己的偏爱,综合评断要全面审查结论依据,复核会检要冷静接受同行评议.     

浅谈司法鉴定启动权的归属

司法鉴定启动是司法鉴定程序的起始环节,也是司法鉴定行为得以实施的前提。对司法鉴定启动制度的合理设置对确保司法公正具有十分重要的意义。本文分析我国司法鉴定启动程序现状存在的问题,对司法鉴定启动制度的改造提出若干建议。