Timing Considerations for Sexual Assault Examinations

Just a quick reminder: you have until Wednesday at noon ET to enter the Sexual Assault Quick Reference giveaway. Head over to the post and leave your comment to be eligible!

SAFE-TA (a project of IAFN) is offering a free webinar December 15th at 2pm, ET: Timing Considerations for Sexual Assault Examinations. Presented by Jack Ballantyne, Ph.D. and Pam Marshall, M.S., this webinar will offer advanced education to practitioners on issues involving timing of evidence collection, advances in forensic DNA technology, and factors affecting time since intercourse intervals.

Maximizing the Potential for DNA Technology

NCVC is hosting a webinar November 18th at 1pm ET: Maximizing the Potential for DNA Technology. “The goals of this webinar are to expose participants to the “big picture” of how forensic DNA came to be the potent crime-fighting tool that it is today, and for participants to learn about today’s most extensive and innovative applications of forensic DNA in the United States and abroad. The speaker will highlight the importance of DNA databasing for identifying offenders and solving and preventing crimes and will present intriguing cases and innovative techniques using forensic DNA.”

NIJ Journal: Human Trafficking

The current issue of the NIJ Journal is now available, featuring articles on human trafficking, post-conviction DNA testing and critical incidents in schools (at least those were the highlights for me). You can download the full journal here (PDF). The complete TOC includes:

• Sex Trafficking: Identifying Cases and Victims: Robert Moossy, J.D.
• Drugs, Race and Common Ground: Reflections on the High Point Intervention: David Kennedy
• Postconviction DNA Testing Is at Core of Major NIJ Initiatives: Nancy Ritter
• Sleep Deprivation: What Does It Mean for Public Safety Officers? Bryan Vila, Ph.D.
• Protecting America’s Ports: Bruce Taylor, Ph.D., and Pat Kaufman
• Using Technology to Make Prisons and Jails Safer: Philip Bulman
• Preventing, Preparing for Critical Incidents in Schools: Beth Schuster

Collecting DNA in High Volume Crimes: UPDATED

PLEASE READ THROUGH FOR UPDATED INFO:

Sorry that this is a very last minute post (I just got the announcement for it this morning, so subscribers, you’re probably not going to even see this until it’s too late), but the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices is holding a webinar TODAY (3/17/09) from 2-3:30pm ET titled The Future of DNA: Collecting DNA in High Volume Crimes.

The Limitations of Memory

On the Diane Rehm Show yesterday, Diane interviewed the authors of the new book Picking Cotton, about the circumstances that led to the writing of the book:

A rape victim mistakenly accused Ronald Cotton of being her attacker. He served eleven years in prison before DNA evidence exonerated him. They both join Diane [Rehm] to present their joint memoir of injustice and forgiveness.