GC法在物证检验中的应用

近年来,随着物证技术仪器检测方法的研究不断深入,很多新技术手段应用到案件的破获以及司法鉴定当中,为结论的准确性提供了重要保证。笔者对气相色谱法在物证检验及文件物证中的应用进行了简要的总结阐述。GC技术以其分离高效、分离速度快而准确的特性得到广泛应用。在微量物证中广泛的应用于爆炸残留物、涂料、塑料、橡胶、油类和纤维的检验,在文件形成时间上的研究中也将起到重要作用。     

浅析偷渡案件的证据收集

公安边防部门的重要职能之一就是打击偷渡犯罪,在侦办偷渡案件过程中证据的收集至关重要。然而实践中却不同程度存在着证据收集不及时、不全面,忽视痕迹性证据的收集,缺乏对电子证据的收集能力等问题。因此,公安边防部门只有不断的增强证据意识,充分利用科学技术,发挥痕迹性物证的作用,提高偷渡案件的证据收集水平,才能有效打击偷渡犯罪,维护社会稳定,维护我国在国际上的良好形象和声誉。     

论民事诉讼中自由证明的构建

自由证明作为与严格证明相对立的一种证明模式,体现了根据不同待证事实的特性采用不同证明方式的诉讼分流理念及价值,并已在较多国家得到广泛确立和适用。而我国目前的民事诉讼证明制度中尚未确立这一证明模式,理论界更是未对其引起足够的重视和研究,这就极大地限制了我国民事诉讼中证明制度的体系化和多元化构建。如何在我国民事诉讼的证明制度中合理构建自由证明制度,使其在证明待证事实中发挥自身应有的优势,逐步实现我国民事诉讼证明制度的体系化和多元化构建,从而为法院合理有效地认定待证事实提供一个更为高效、公正的制度环境是值得研究和探讨的问题。     

The over-citation of Daubert in forensic anthropology

The 1993 US Supreme Court decision Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. presented new guidance for the judicial assessment of expert witness evidence and testimony in the determination of admissibility. Despite the rarity of admissibility challenges to forensic anthropology evidence, Daubert is frequently cited in published forensic anthropology research. This study undertook a qualitative thematic analysis of forensic anthropology articles published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences to assess why authors continue to cite Daubert and express concerns over potential exclusion. The results show a significant increase in the number of articles that cite legal admissibility standards over time (p < 0.001). Authors frequently cite these standards to contextualize their results within the Daubert framework or to justify the need for their research. Notably, many articles present Daubert as a constraining force, misinterpreting the guidelines as rigid criteria or that they require methods to be strictly quantitative. However, Daubert was intended to be a flexible tool for judges—not a standard or instruction for scientists. While it was reasonable to reflect on the scientific rigor of methods in the wake of the Daubert decision, a new perspective is warranted in which forensic anthropologists shift their focus from trying to “satisfy” admissibility guidelines to adopting quality assurance measures that minimize error and ensure confidence in analytical results, and developing and using methods that are grounded in good science—which is important regardless of whether or not the results are ever the subject of a trial.     

Integration of Pore Features into the Evaluation of Fingerprint Evidence*

Fingerprint practitioners rely on level 3 features to make decisions in relation to the source of an unknown friction ridge skin impression. This research proposes to assess the strength of evidence associated with pores when shown in (dis)agreement between a mark and a reference print. Based upon an algorithm designed to automatically detect pores, a metric is defined in order to compare different impressions. From this metric, the weight of the findings is quantified using a likelihood ratio. The results obtained on four configurations and 54 donors show the significant contribution of the pore features and translate into statistical terms what latent fingerprint examiners have developed holistically through experience. The system provides LRs that are indicative of the true state under both the prosecution and the defense propositions. Not only such a system brings transparency regarding the weight to assign to such features, but also forces a discussion in relation to the risks of such a model to mislead.     

Hospital Wet Mount Examination for the Presence of Sperm in Sexual Assault Cases is of Questionable Value

Many protocols for the examination of sexual assault victims include the preparation of vaginal wet mount slides to determine whether sperm are present and if so, whether the sperm are motile. We have reviewed findings in 501 case reports to compare the efficiency of sperm detection on wet mounts to subsequent crime laboratory results of sperm searches on vaginal swabs. Sperm were detected on wet mounts in only 41% of cases in which sperm were detected in the crime laboratory. Motile sperm were observed in only 12% of cases reporting a 0–9 h postcoital interval; in three cases, motile sperm were seen at 15 h and beyond, indicating that motile sperm are not reliable evidence of a short postcoital interval. These findings demonstrate that wet mount examinations are of little value in guiding subsequent analyses in the crime laboratory or in corroborating other investigative aspects of the case.     

知识产权刑事案件证据调查与认定——以新刑事诉讼法为视角

刑事诉讼法的本次大修是适应社会转型的需要,它在证据方面的修订对知识产权的刑事法保护有着重要影响,如增加了电子数据形式、增设行政证据向刑事证据的转换机制、增加了专家证人形式、规范了诱惑侦查措施等。不断完善的程序法必定会逐渐增强对知识产权的刑事法保护。     

Validation of the factor structure and predictive validity of the Forensic Evidence Evaluation Bias Scale for robbery and sexual assault trial scenarios

In order to investigate the role of pre-trial attitudes about forensic science in juror decision-making, a previous study demonstrated the predictive validity of the Forensic Evidence Evaluation Bias Scale (FEEBS), using a murder trial scenario, which featured ambiguous prosecution DNA evidence. The current study validates the FEEBS using two new crime types and the conditions include a manipulation of the presence of DNA evidence in the trial scenario. The FEEBS successfully predicted mock jurors' perceptions of the probative value of DNA evidence for both robbery and sexual assault trials. The two subscales of the FEEBS were demonstrated to have different predictive ability depending on the presence or absence of DNA evidence. A confirmatory factor analytic technique was used to validate the underlying two-factor structure of the FEEBS, as previously proposed. These results are discussed with reference to the CSI Effect literature, and the potential for improvement to less empirically supported voir dire questioning techniques.     

Effects of pretrial juror bias,strength of evidence and deliberation process on juror decisions: new validity evidence of the Juror Bias Scale scores

This study examines the validity of the Juror Bias Scale scores in relation to the mock juror decisions reached in two real life homicide cases before and after the deliberation process. The judicial cases used varied in terms of the ambiguity of the evidence presented at both trials. The WLS methodology for statistical modelling of categorical data was used to analyse data. The findings indicated that the Juror Bias Scale scores successfully predict the verdicts and other related questions before and after deliberations in the case with ambiguous evidence. Furthermore, deliberations caused a generalisation effect on the pretrial juror bias in such a case, and enhanced the differences between defense-biased and prosecution-biased jurors in the verdicts delivered after deliberations. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the use of pretrial juror bias questionnaires in jury selection.     

DNA鉴定人出庭作证现状、问题及对策

DNA鉴定在刑事案件的侦查中能锁定犯罪嫌疑人、串并案件、提供侦查线索,是重要的技术破案手段.DNA证据通常是可靠的,被大多数人认可,以前DNA鉴定人出庭作证非常少见.但是,DNA证据也并非完美,在应用中常常会出现一些问题,还有个别DNA检验出错,因而法庭必须加强对DNA证据的审查.随着我国新刑诉法的出台,DNA鉴定人出庭作证将是今后日常工作之一,通过质证,排除非法证据,准确阐释证据的证明力,最终实现刑事诉讼的实体公正和程序公正.本文亦针对在探索阶段鉴定人出庭作证存在的问题给予了一些建议.