Brandon Garrett and Peter Stout were interviewed on a recent episode of the TalksOnLaw (TOL) podcast. Garrett is a co-director of the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE). He is also the L. Neil Williams, Jr. Professor of Law and director of the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke University. Peter Stout is CEO and president of the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC). He is a member of CSAFE’s Strategic Advisory Board.
In this two-part series, TOL host Joel Cohen interviews Garrett and Stout about the impact forensic evidence can have at trial. They discuss the influence of forensic evidence among juries, how judges determine the admissibility of forensic evidence and the role of defense attorneys in the courtroom.
The interview continues with a discussion on how the HFSC operates, including implementing blind quality control programs and independent oversight. They explore the legal and policy changes that can be instituted at the lab level and systemwide to address the failures in forensic labs.
During the podcast, Garrett mentions research conducted at CSAFE, including work done by Nicholas Scurich, CSAFE researcher and associate professor of criminology, law and society and vice chair of the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. Learn more about the research CSAFE carries out on the scientific foundations of forensic methods at https://forensicstats.org/our-research/.
Watch Part 1: https://www.talksonlaw.com/talks/a-failure-in-forensics
Watch Part 2: https://www.talksonlaw.com/talks/a-failure-of-forensics-part-2
