Agenda Day Two

Coffee

Clear as Mud: Questions to Ask Your Expert - Crystal Oechsle (1 cr)

Abstract:
Have you ever spoken to a forensic scientist and been completely lost, not understanding what they were telling you or why, or why they couldn’t just answer the question in plain English? Scientific experts have reasons for being precise or explaining concepts in a particular way, and rightly or wrongly, probably assume attorneys know and understand those reasons. In this talk we’ll delve into what you can do to prepare for expert testimony, questions you can ask your expert, and some of the reasoning behind why experts speak the way they do. Time permitting, arguments and rebuttals to address common forensic misconceptions and counter the CSI effect will also be presented.

Current Trends in Forensic DNA and Issue Spoting - Tiffany Roy (1 cr.)

Abstract:
The last decade has brought about significant changes in forensic DNA analysis that are being challenged in courts across the country. As DNA technologies have become more sensitive, the threat of contamination has increased, and mixture interpretation has become more complex. To deal with this change, labs have implemented new interpretation and statistical software and maybe even altered the methods they use to calculate statistics, which has led to great changes in the language of expert opinions. Here, the presenter will discuss some of the problems they see when reviewing work from laboratories around the country and will offer methods to spot issues in your cases. This presentation is designed to arm attorneys with the skills they need to spot problem results and testimony so that they might retain the expertise necessary to preserve these issues and keep bad science out of court.

Small Group Rotation 1* (1.5 cr.)

Small Group Rotations
Tuesday August 13, 2024 (4.5 CLE Credit Total; 1.5 Credit per Rotation)
10:45 am – 12:15 pm (Rotation 1)
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Rotation 2)
3:45 pm – 5:15 pm (Rotation 3)
Participants will be split into small groups and will spend Tuesday late-morning and afternoon rotating through each of three demonstrative sessions, see below for details.

Application of Bloodstain Patterns to Violent Crime Scenes (Lead by BCI Special Agent Megan Roberts)

Participants will be guided the short distance to the Forensic Science Crime Scene House, located just off-campus on Troup Avenue. Here, mock crime scene(s) will be staged for participants to view, and BCI Special Agent Roberts will lead a presentation on bloodstain pattern analysis. Training will provide participants with the practical
applications of bloodstain pattern analysis, and participants will learn about the potential benefits and limitations of bloodstain pattern analysis for court room presentations. Evidence Receiving Processes and Tour of Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations Facility (Lead by Jeffrey Lynn, Center for the Future of Forensic Science) Coupled with a Lecture on

Fentanyl and Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyls (IMFs) (Lead by Jeremy Canfield & Jon E. Sprague, Center for the Future of Forensic Science)
Participants will be guided the short distance to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations facility located on-campus, across from the Life Sciences building that houses the Center for the Future of Forensic Science. While at the BCI facility, the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), chain of custody, and evidence security procedures will be explained. The tour will chronicle the journey of evidence as it makes its way from receiving through the various sections of an operation forensics lab. Following the tour, participants will attend a lecture on Fentanyl and Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyls (IMFs): The number of fentanyl overdose deaths and reported
fentanyl crime lab cases has drastically increased in recent years. In addition to fentanyl, illicitly manufactured fentanyls (IMFs) have seen an increase in prevalence. IMFs are clandestinely produced compounds that are structurally similar to fentanyl. Unlike fentanyl, these compounds do not have any medical uses and have not been tested in animals or humans. Therefore, the dangers and potencies are unknown to potential users as well as those who can come into contact with these substances. Additionally, these compounds are frequently mixed into drug powders or incorporated into and sold as fake prescription tablets. Here we will review the history, abuse potential, chemistry and the Ohio Pharmacophore Rule as it applies to fentanyl and IMFs.

Laboratory Process Hands-On Demonstrations
(Lead by Center for the Future of Forensic Science Faculty: Crystal Oechsle, Travis Worst,
Daniel Davison, Jessica Mendofik)
The Center for the Future of Forensic Science will open its laboratory spaces for exploration. Faculty will be on-hand to explain techniques, processes, and instrumentation that are available in the fully equipped forensic chemistry and forensic biology laboratories. Stations where participants can try their hand at body fluid identification, chemical color tests, microscopy, latent fingerprint development, and more will be available.

Lunch; Ask the Experts- Panel and Group Discussion ( 1 cr.)        

Abstract:
This session will begin with an introduction to the panel of forensic scientists (subject to availability): Daniel Davison, Jeffrey Lynn, Jessica Mendofik, Crystal Oechsle, Megan Roberts, Tiffany Roy, Jon Sprague, and Travis Worst. The host will elicit topics and questions from attendees prior to the panel and throughout the workshop. Workshop attendees and presenters alike will attempt to bring a better understanding to issues that arose throughout the training or have been plaguing practitioners for longer. Attendees are encouraged to come with their own specific topics of interest or forensic questions that they wish to discuss. Potential topics include the emerging forensic-related caselaw and questions that are currently being considered in front of the Ohio and US Supreme Courts; the admissibility of probabilistic genotyping software- generated statistics, the use of genetic genealogy, or Rapid DNA; the wording of typical crime laboratory reports

Small Group Rotation 2* (1.5 cr. )

Small Group Rotation 3* (1.5 cr.)  

Closing Remarks & Survey