![]() ![]() They could also call on experts of their own when prosecutors plan to introduce forensic evidence that may be based on flawed science. Defense expertsĮxperienced criminal defense attorneys may pay close attention to developments in forensic science and studies like the one conducted by the ABFO. This kind of mistake has prompted legislators in several states to pass laws allowing prison inmates to file appeals when new scientific discoveries raise questions about the evidence used to convict them. Bite marks can change over time and be distorted due to factors like swelling and healing. The forensic odontologist was later suspended by the ABFO and ousted by the American Board of Forensic Pathology. Sometimes Bite Marks Bite Back One of the most controversial forensic techniques is bite-mark comparison. Police found the body in a creek, and it is now believed that the wounds were caused by crawfish. He was convicted in 1992 after a forensic odontologist testified with certainty that wounds on the victim’s body were his bite marks. The questionable science of bite marks attracted media attention in 2015 when a Mississippi man was exonerated after spending 15 years in prison for a rape and murder that he did not commit. One was a bite mark on a young victim that he was said to have made in a fiendish attack. His accusers, in reality just personal enemies with grudges, brought forth many pieces of alleged evidence against Burroughs. Dentists asked to analyze images of bite marks were rarely able to say with any confidence that the wound was caused by a bite. Among many other innocents, Reverend George Burroughs was accused of witchcraft and cavorting with the devil. The American Board of Forensic Odontology conducted a study into bite mark evidence in 2015. The odontologist will also supervise the examination of the victims dentition (with or without the taking of teeth impressions) and the taking of bitemark. The way teeth are arranged cannot be used to conclusively identify an individual, and bite marks on human skin are notoriously difficult to identify. There are several problems with bite mark evidence. The science surrounding bite marks has been largely discredited, and even state agencies like the Texas Forensic Science Commission have called for it to be excluded in criminal trials. About a quarter of the 2,601 people exonerated since 1989 were convicted based on forensic evidence, and 26 of them found themselves behind bars because experts claimed that they left bite marks on their alleged victims. Collection of Bite Mark Evidence from the Bite Mark Victim: Both in the living and deceased victims the following vital information should be recorded: Demographics-Name, age, sex, race, case number, date of examination and name of the examiners should be recorded. This worries experts because modern forensics is sometimes based on incomplete, flawed or debunked science. Juries in Tennessee and around the country tend to find forensic evidence extremely compelling. On Behalf of the Law Offices of Meredith Mochel ![]()
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