Meeting a Forensic Podiatry Admissibility Challenge: A Daubert Case Study

This article is an introduction to the United States Supreme Court's standard of admissibility of forensic evidence and testimony at trial, known as the Daubert standard, with emphasis on how this standard applies to the field of forensic podiatry. The author, a forensic podiatrist, provided law enforcement with evidence tying a bloody sock‐clad footprint found at the scene of a homicide to the suspect. In 2014, the author testified at a pretrial hearing, known as “a Daubert hearing,” to address the admissibility of this evidence in court. This was the first instance of forensic podiatry being the primary subject of a Daubert hearing. The hearing resulted in the court ordering this evidence admissible. The expert's testimony contributed to the suspect's conviction. This article serves as a reference for forensic podiatrists and experts in similar fields that involve impression evidence, providing evidentiary standards and their impact on expert evidence and testimony.     

Stature and Body Weight Estimation from Various Footprint Measurements Among Egyptian Population

Abstract: Analysis of footprints can reveal very important clues which can be used as a forensic evidence and help in the estimation of stature and body weight of an individual. In this work, bilateral footprints were obtained from 50 male Egyptian medical students ranging in age between 18 and 25. Nine measurements were taken on each footprint. The result revealed significant bilateral asymmetry (p < 0.001) except foot breadth at ball. The significant and positive highest correlation coefficients with stature were shown by toe‐5 length on right side (R = 0.58) and with body weight by foot breadth at ball on left side (R = ?0.52). Regression equations presented smaller standard errors of estimate (3.52–4.69) in determination of stature than those in estimation of body weight (4.05–5.28). In conclusion, this study has provided equations that help to estimate stature and body weight from footprint measurements among Egyptians.     

利用不同鞋种鞋印长度推断身高差值探究

目的研究不同鞋种的鞋印长度与赤足平面足迹长度的差值数据,为利用现场各类不同穿鞋足迹分析身高等人身特点提供科学依据,也为足迹定量化分析与检验奠定基础。方法针对犯罪现场中常见鞋种,选取不同的鞋号,采集对不同足长、身高的实验者正常行走所捺印的穿鞋样本与赤足样本,对穿鞋足迹鞋印长度与赤足足迹长度进行统计与计算。结果得出不同鞋种鞋印长度与赤足平面足迹长度的差值数据。结论应用现场穿鞋足迹分析身高等人身特点时,应针对不同的鞋种,减去相关系数,结合原有身高分析公式,综合分析身高。     

Two-dimensional metric comparison between dynamic bare and sock-clad footprints for its forensic implications – A pilot study

Footprints may be present at crime scenes as physical evidence. This pilot study compares two-dimensional measurements of bare and sock-clad footprints to determine if significant differences or similarities exist. Dynamic footprints were collected from 30 males and 20 females between the ages of 20 and 61?years old (mean of 28.2?years) using the Identicator Inkless Shoe Print Model LE 25P system. A midgait protocol was employed for obtaining footprints. The fifth and sixth footprint of gait were collected for the right and left foot, respectively, in both sock-clad and barefoot trials. The footprint measurements between sock-clad and bare footprints were compared. The results did not indicate any significant difference (p?>?.05) between bare and sock-clad foot length measurements for right or left feet. Significant differences were seen for the width measurements between bare and sock-clad footprints. These findings have forensic implications, particularly in criminal cases where it is unclear if a footprint impression is from a sock-clad foot or a bare foot. This study shows that such a determination is generally not necessary when utilizing two-dimensional measurements for length comparison between a bare and sock-clad footprint. However, if width measurements are being evaluated, the distinction between bare and sock-clad footprints should be considered.     

身高与足迹长度相关关系综合研究

目的全面分析研究足迹长度与身高之间的相关关系及其变化规律。方法在全国范围内大量抽样收集不同地区、不同年龄、不同性别人群的足迹样本,逐一测量其足迹长度,建立数据库,利用计算机进行综合统计、回归分析、比较研究。结果获得大量的分析数据及回归方程。结论足迹长度与身高之间的相关关系明显,可以根据足迹长度分析留痕人的身高。     

利用多波段光源显现潜在粉尘足迹

通过对粉尘足迹的理化性质分析,借鉴多波段光源照射下用荧光粉处理潜指纹的方法,显现此类足迹.     

利用鞋内穿用特征进行足迹检验

从理论上论述了鞋内穿用特征的形成原理,表现形式及特点,以及鞋内穿用特征的变异性,并利用鞋内穿用特征进行足迹检验的实践.     

Climate change: Double-edged sword for African trade and development

Abstract

African governments face increasing pressure from major export destinations, primarily former colonial and slave-owning countries, to be climate change compliant. This will certainly be on display at the upcoming December 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which will seek to strengthen climate change rules agreed on in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, and adopt new protocols on global climate change regulation. Climate change is a double-edged sword: on one side it is hitting Africa's agricultural sector with increased droughts, floods, extreme frost and wildfires; and on the other, African governments are being forced to respond to stringent regulatory regimes imposed by international export destinations. Currently, the per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the highly industrialised nations – the North – is estimated to be four times that of Africa and the rest of the developing world. Twin research questions were investigated in this article: (1) to what extent does climate change impact on African trade and development, and (2) how can African governments stay on a path of sustained trade and development in this era of climate change? The article argues that Africa's survival in these times of climate change compliance rests on a shift to greater intra-African trade, as individual nations move towards cleaner and more organic technologies to become full-fledged partners in the international climate change regulatory regime.     

利用残缺赤足足迹推算身高

目的由于主客观条件的影响,犯罪现场中常见的足迹多为不完整的残缺足迹,如何能够有效地利用残缺足迹,对案件破获往往具有至关重要的作用。方法从残缺赤足足迹的反映形态出发,选择足迹中明显、稳定的特征点,确定特征量,通过数理统计分析,建立残缺赤足足迹推算身高的经验公式。结果在4个特征量中,跖前缘突点到跟后缘突点的距离与身高的相关性最好,跖内、外缘突点到跟后缘突点的距离与身高具有一定的相关性。结论根据现场残缺赤足足迹的反映情况,也可以近似推断嫌疑人的身高特点,为侦查提供方向。