检察工作视野中的刑事被害人补偿问题研究

检察机关对犯罪嫌疑人作出不批准逮捕或者不起诉决定,刑事案件诉讼程序即告终止,在法律上排除了犯罪嫌疑人的存在,致使被害人无法通过诉讼程序获得赔偿。在检察环节,对刑事被害人进行国家补偿,既保障了被害人的人权,又可以促进社会的和谐稳定。     

关于人大代表述职评议若干问题的探讨

宪法、代表法规定,选民和原选举单位有权对由他们选举产生的人大代表进行监督,但是就如何监督并没有程序性的细化规范。各地就此进行了积极的探索,其中,组织人大代表进行述职评议就是广为采用的一种方式。文章就建立人大代表述职评议制度的必要性展开论述,就目前各地人大代表述职评议活动开展过程中出现的一些问题进行分析,并提出解决建议。     

论被害预防的不足及对策

被害预防是从被害人角度研究防止犯罪的自我防范举措,是根据犯罪诱发因素与制约因素的互动关系,调动社会各方面的力量,制订并实施的对策。实践中对被害人被害责任追究和被害人权益保障制度的缺乏使得被害预防并没有真正的发挥作用。建立被害人过错责任机制和犯罪被害补偿制度,并将被害人纳入法律援助体系之中将更有利于被害预防的开展。     

论侦查程序中刑事被害人的权利保护

刑事被害人是受到犯罪行为直接侵犯的人,提高对加强侦查程序中刑事被害人的权利保护的认识,完善刑事被害人的控告人、委托诉讼代理人等权利,可以保障刑事被害人的人权,维护社会稳定.     

Identification of incinerated root canal filling materials after exposure to high heat incineration

With the increase in global terrorism there is a higher probability of having to identify victims of incineration events secondary to incendiary explosive devices. The victims of incineration events challenge forensic odontologists when coronal restorations are no longer present to compile postmortem data. With 40 million root canals being completed annually in the United States, a very large pool of antemortem data is available to the forensic odontologist to make positive identifications. When complete and thorough dental records exist, individuals that have undergone surgical and nonsurgical root canal therapy may have materials present in the canal that may aid in identification. This study provides elemental fingerprints of root canal obturation materials to be utilized as a forensic identification aid. This study used scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to assess the elemental composition of materials before and after high temperature incineration. Sixteen endodontic materials were analyzed pre-incineration and placed in extracted teeth. The filled teeth were subjected to incineration at 900 degrees C for 30 min to simulate incineration events or cremation. Incinerated materials were radiographed and re-analyzed to determine if they retained their original elemental composition. Endodontic sealers, gutta percha, root-end filling materials, silver points, and separated files were distinguishable in the canal and traceable after incineration. The authors present a fingerprint of the endodontic obturation materials that are capable of withstanding high heat incineration to be used as an aid for postmortem identification. This work represents the initial stage of database generation for root canal filling materials for use as an aid in forensic identification.     

OFFENDER–VICTIM INTERACTION AND CRIME EVENT OUTCOMES: MODUS OPERANDI AND VICTIM EFFECTS ON THE RISK OF INTRUSIVE SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST CHILDREN*

Criminological research has shown the relevance of examining offender–victim interaction and related factors to understand crime event outcomes. In sexual offenses against children, an obvious lack of knowledge exists regarding this issue. From a criminological perspective, we seek to improve our understanding of the offender–victim interaction in sexual offenses against children and, in particular, what factors might increase the risk of a more intrusive offense. We argue that modus operandi strategies play a central role in crime event outcomes and examine this hypothesis with data obtained from a semistructured interview conducted with offenders. As expected, modus operandi was found to have a strong effect on crime event outcomes, especially victim participation during sexual episodes. Victim effects also emerged from the analyses. Specifically, a strong interaction effect between age and gender of the victim was found for victim participation, which suggests that as the victim gets older, offenders are more likely to make their victim participate in sexual episodes when abusing a male victim but are less likely to do so when abusing a female victim.     

DNA Preservation in Skeletal Elements from the World Trade Center Disaster: Recommendations for Mass Fatality Management*,†

Abstract: The World Trade Center (WTC) victim identification effort highlights taphonomic influences on the degradation of DNA from victims of mass fatality incidents. This study uses a subset of the WTC‐Human Remains Database to evaluate differential preservation of DNA by skeletal element. Recovery location, sex, and victim type (civilian, firefighter, or plane passenger) do not appear to influence DNA preservation. Results indicate that more intact elements, as well as elements encased in soft tissue, produced slightly higher identification rates than more fragmented remains. DNA identification rates by element type conform to previous findings, with higher rates generally found in denser, weight‐bearing bones. However, smaller bones including patellae, metatarsals, and foot phalanges yielded rates comparable to both femora and tibiae. These elements can be easily sampled with a disposable scalpel, and thus reduce potential DNA contamination. These findings have implications for DNA sampling guidelines in future mass fatality incidents.     

Investigation Delayed Is Justice Denied: Proposals for Expediting Forensic Examinations of Digital Evidence*

Abstract: There is an urgent need to reduce the growing backlog of forensic examinations in Digital Forensics Laboratories (DFLs). Currently, DFLs routinely create forensic duplicates and perform in‐depth forensic examinations of all submitted media. This approach is rapidly becoming untenable as more cases involve increasing quantities of digital evidence. A more efficient and effective three‐tiered strategy for performing forensic examinations will enable DFLs to produce useful results in a timely manner at different phases of an investigation, and will reduce unnecessary expenditure of resources on less serious matters. The three levels of forensic examination are described along with practical examples and suitable tools. Realizing that this is not simply a technical problem, we address the need to update training and establish thresholds in DFLs. Threshold considerations include the likelihood of missing exculpatory evidence and seriousness of the offense. We conclude with the implications of scaling forensic examinations to the investigation.     

论刑事和解视野中的犯罪客体价值——对误入歧途的刑事和解制度的批判

在目前国内有关刑事和解的理论研究和实务操作中,均存在着过度抬高被害人地位的问题,似乎只要被害人谅解犯罪嫌疑人,案件就可以无条件地适用刑事和解。而从本质上讲,犯罪嫌疑人和被害人之间的和解协议能否得到司法机关的认可并导致量刑上的从宽处理,既取决于被害人有无刑事实体处分权,也受到犯罪嫌疑人的人身危险性等因素的制约。因此,被害人的谅解并不是刑事和解的核心要素,应当重视犯罪客体在刑事和解中的价值,它决定着被害人刑事实体处分权的有无与刑事和解的适用范围。     

论地方政府决策中利益代表参与模式的法律建构

地方社会利益诉求多样化的现实导致传统的"传送带理论"无法圆满解释地方政府决策在利益取舍上的合法性。利益代表参与地方政府决策的模式将有助于缓解目前的"合法性缺失"以及相应的"决策失败"的困境。在利益代表参与模式下,参与者以"价值与技术"的基本区分为基础来确立利益代表参与的广度和深度,以资格界定和参与方式作为制度构建的核心。针对目前我国"专家理性"仍居主导地位的现状,有必要从现有的咨询专家委员会入手,将成员资格扩展至以相关利益主体构成的临时性代表,形成包括利益代表在内的咨询委员会制度,以此建构利益代表参与地方政府决策的制度端口。