Arizona voters approved recreational marijuana last November, and sales have been climbing as 2021 proceeds. As we have previously discussed, Arizona’s Prop 207 had a number of effects, from legalizing possession of an ounce or less to expunging many marijuana-related felony convictions. What’s still not legal? Driving while impaired by marijuana, possession of more than…
Well, folks, it is finally here. With the contemporary “reefer madness” showing no signs of slowing, the minds at Hound Labs, an Oakland based, scientific instrument research start-up, have recently released a marijuana breathalyzer machine! Say what?!! Yes, in all seriousness, this company states that it has developed a machine to detect marijuana use “within…
Are you out grabbing the last package of brats? Or restocking the almost empty beer fridge? How about trying to find some red, white, and blue water balloons for the kids this Fourth of July? You, my friends, are not alone! I know this because I’m about to walk into Safeway, and I’m dreading the…
Science. What does this word bring to your mind? Maybe you think of test tubes and lab coats. Maybe you imagine Albert Einstein and other brilliant, if eccentric individuals. You see the double-helix from DNA, electrons clouding around a nucleus, microscopes showing organisms that are otherwise an invisible mystery. Amy Albritton’s life was dismantled by…
Family and friends gather around the table and its centerpiece, a giant turkey overflowing with stuffing, ready to be slathered with gravy or cranberry sauce, accompanied by sweet potatoes, and washed down with beer and wine. As the food is passed around and the green bean casserole stays mysteriously intact, the conversation begins: “I told…
This blog will update you on the state of Current Issues in Forensic Sciences as it relates to DUI arrests. Fingerprints. DNA. Bite marks. Polygraphs. Ballistics. Blood spatters. Gas chromatography. Burn Patterns. Handwriting. Toxicology. All of these areas of forensic science provide a window into explaining the evidence collected from crime scenes and alleged suspects….
On September 1, 2013, the American Bar Association released a report (click HERE for full article) about a recent string of crime lab scandals, and how they may affect the rest of the forensic science community. Forensics has been questioned for years, but the issues seem to be coming to a breaking point. Police crime…
In today’s world, nearly everything we use is influenced in one way or another by software. Smart phones are overtaking the cell phone market. Almost everybody in the family has a personal computer, or uses one at work. Cars have sophisticated touch screens, and there is now Wi-Fi atop Mount Everest. (No, seriously). While you don’t…
The University of Greece has recently published a report on thermal imaging of intoxication technology this year in the International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics. It describes the new testing method, which uses various algorithms to scan images from thermal cameras for signs and symptoms of intoxication. This is simply astounding (and scary)….
