Upcoming Programs on Facial Recognition Software and Surveillance Technologies

Attorneys frequently ask me questions about facial recognition software and about new surveillance technologies. NACDL is offering training programs on each of these topics.

On September 18, 2018, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, NACDL will host a free webinar about the practices, risks, and limitations of emerging facial recognition technology. With an increasing number of police departments across the country turning to unregulated, untested, and flawed facial recognition technology to identify suspects, it is vital that defenders understand the technology, its limitations, and how to challenge its use in their cases. This webinar will explore these issues with the Georgetown Law Center of Privacy and Technology’s Clare Garvie, Bronx Defender’s Kaitlyn Jackson, and computer scientist Joshua Kroll. This webinar is supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K014 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. For more information and registration details, click here.

On November 29-30, 2018, NACDL and the Berkeley Center on Law and Technology (BCLT) will co-sponsor a free CLE at the University of California Berkeley School of Law. Advanced technologies are revolutionizing how the government investigates, charges, and prosecutes criminal cases. What issues do they raise under federal law and the Fourth Amendment, and how can defense lawyers keep pace? “It’s Complicated: Combatting the Surveillance State in Criminal Proceedings” will equip defenders with the tools to recognize and defend cases involving digital searches, advanced surveillance tools, technologies, and programs. For more information and registration details, click here.

Open Forum with the NC State Crime Laboratory

The NC State Crime Laboratory and NC Office of Indigent Defense Services will offer a free to attend CLE on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, that is designed to enhance the knowledge of criminal defense attorneys and criminal defense investigators. The program will be held at the NC Judicial Center, 901 Corporate Center Drive, Raleigh, NC. Senior forensic scientists from the State Crime Lab will present updates and key information about the analysis of physical evidence in the disciplines of Forensic Biology (DNA), DNA Database, Firearms, and Latent Evidence.

Following these presentations, the speakers will address questions from attorneys. Due to the confidential nature of casework, questions about specific cases will not be answered. Attorneys can schedule a meeting at the State Crime Lab to discuss the case with the analyst. Attendees may submit questions ahead of time using the registration form or by emailing sarah.r.olson@nccourts.org.

The program is approved for 2.5 hours of general CLE credit. Attorneys receiving CLE credit will be billed $3.50 per credit hour by the NC State Bar. Non-attorneys who wish to receive continuing education credit may use this program agenda to apply for their own credit.

Program agenda: http://www.ncids.com/forensic/resources/sept28.pdf

Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/20zNrZk7LuIHT0kp2

 

September 28, 2018

8:30-9:00 AM                     Sign-in (Coffee and light snack provided)

9:00-10:30 AM                   Presentations by the Forensic Biology (DNA), and DNA Database Sections of the NC State Crime Laboratory

10:30-11:30 AM                 Presentations by the Firearm and Tool Mark and Latent Evidence Sections of the NC State Crime Laboratory

Presenters:

• John Byrd, State Crime Laboratory Director
• David Freehling, Forensic Scientist Manager, Physical Evidence Section (Raleigh)
• Jennifer Slish, Forensic Scientist Supervisor, Firearms Unit (Physical Evidence Section, Raleigh)
• Zach Kallenbach, Forensic Scientist Manager, DNA Database Section (Raleigh)
• Karen W. Morrow, Forensic Scientist Manager, Latent Evidence Section (Raleigh)
• Jody H. West, Forensic Scientist Manager, Forensic Biology Section (Raleigh)

 

NC State Crime Laboratory Customer Satisfaction Survey

The NC State Crime Lab is conducting a customer satisfaction survey. The survey will be open until Aug. 31, 2018. Filling out the survey will allow the NC State Crime Lab to get feedback on your interactions with them over the past year.

The survey is short and should not take much time to complete. It contains questions about Forensic Update, Forensic Advantage, and about the quality of interactions with the lab itself. You can fill out the survey using this link.