Crime and the Courtroom

Nancy La Vigne is the Dean of the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, based at the campus in Newark, New Jersey. In this episode of Crime and the Courtroom , John Collins and Dr. La Vigne discuss her new responsibilities at Rutgers, as well as contemporary priorities in criminal justice research, technology, and education. Dr. La Vigne also shares her experiences as the former director of the Nati...

In this episode, John Collins builds on the themes and recommendations covered in episode 87, with regards to forensic laboratory accreditation and its strengths and limitations. Seven policy priorities are discussed to help forensic science laboratories, their parent agencies, and their jurisdictions prevent instances of catastrophic misconduct before they happen. Season:  5 Episode:  88 Duration...

John Collins answers an email from an audience member who wonders: What's the point of accreditation if a catastrophic failure or major act of misconduct can still happen under the radar. Season:  5 Episode:  87 Duration: 35:57 YOUTUBE CHANNELS Main Podcast Channel Highlights Channel   FROM OUR SPONSOR Learn About the Innovators at Promega International Symposium on Human Identification   REFERENC...

Caitlin Burchill is an investigative reporter with NBC Connecticut and a proud member of the production team that created the documentary, Traces of Doubt: The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee, which is now available in its entirety on YouTube. Caitlin speaks with John Collins about her life and career as an investigative reporter, and sheds light on her investigation of famed but now controversial fore...

Dr. Sarah Chu is the Director of Policy and Reform at the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at the Cordoza School of Law in New York. In her role at the center, she applies her own extensive background in science and public policy to take an active lead on advancing our criminal justice system's efforts to utilize forensic evidence with maximum effectiveness and integrity. In this episode, Dr. C...

In Episode 84 of Crime and the Courtroom , John Collins explores why forensic science is distinct from traditional sciences and often misunderstood. He examines how forensic methods—such as fingerprint and bullet comparisons—are rooted in stochastics , the study of randomness and unique patterns. Addressing past criticisms, Collins argues that forensic science is a leading preventer of wrongful co...

The profession of forensic science has lost one its greatest thinkers and pioneers. His name is John Murdock, and his body of work contributed to the professionalization and trustworthiness of the evidentiary analyses performed by forensic science laboratories all over the world. In this update, your host John Collins commemorates the life and career of John Murdock, recalling how his own career a...

In this inaugural episode of Crime and the Coutroom , John Collins shares what he describes as "the craziest case I ever experienced in a forensic science laboratory." As he explains, sometime in late 1995 or early 1996, John conducted what started as a routine forensic analysis of a firearm used by a police officer in a shooting invovling an armed suspect. As it turned out, nothing about the case...

In this quick holiday update, John Collins shares what he argues is the one key message to teach children so that they can grow up as attentive, cautious adults who can take care of themselves.

John Collins discusses emerging forensic results in the investigation of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and why one evidentiary issue might allow the defense to make some noise. References Mangione attorney says he will challenge forensic results' admissibility, accuracy Crime Lab Report (2019, Academic Press)

A major decision has been made to expand the reach of our podcast while continuing to prioritize the challenges and opportunities facing the forensic laboratory community. In this final CoachCast update of 2024, John Collins explains the changes that are taking effect, and the strategic basis for those changes. The result will be an expanded audience that shares one thing in common: a deep profess...

John Collins, in a special Crime Lab CoachCast update, reflects on the importance of creating conditions for the criminal justice system to be elevated by professionals with the right expertise, attitudes, and leadership skills. He emphasizes the significance of executing consequential roles in striving for personal success, and the need to carefully reassess one's identity and priorities during c...

We are entering "strategy season" here at Critical Victories. John Collins discusses how to take advantage of the opportunity to plan your coming year and the positive psychological impact it can have on yourself and your organization. John also provides some follow-up to his comments in episode #75 by discussing some of the inherent conflicts of interest that must be identified and managed when p...

In today's coaching session, John discusses the problem of technical units and their supervisors not playing nice with their laboratory administrators, the damage this causes, and approaches to dealing with it - and preventing it - effectively. We also enjoy a conversation with Bob McClaren, Director of R&D in Genetic Identity at the Promega corporation on one of the biggest discoveries in the his...

There are times when life confronts us with great loss or the threat of loss, and the emotions we feel can be overwhelming. Deep emotional pain, however, can have adverse effects on the brain that threaten the quality of a sufferer's work. In this episode of the CoachCast, John Collins provides insight and tips for dealing with emotional pain, and how to support the members of our teams when they...

Coming off a recent tour of workshops and presentations on the subject, John Collins discusses the threat of excessively restrictive policies that prevent hiring managers from really getting to know their job candidates. When forensic science laboratories are forced to follow a structured "script" that prohibits a conversational connection with interview subjects, their ability to recognize and id...

This is a Crime Lab CoachCast Update for Monday September 30, 2024. Live from the 2024 meeting of the Association of Forensic Quality Assurance Managers.  Coach's Message for Today "Honorable and competent work performance arise from professionals who know how much they truly matter."

The newest forensic science organization got off the ground in November 2023. The National Association of Forensic Science Boards is now set to host its 2nd annual meeting in Albany, New York. In this episode of the CoachCast, John speaks with Kermit Channell and Jennifer Naugle about the organization's mission, future, and upcoming meeting. John also explains the evolution of his own thinking abo...

Few things are harder on a team or organization than a change in executive-level leadership. The experience can leave even the best-running teams feeling like everyone has lost their minds. In this episode, we explain why it happens and how to prevent it with a more thoughtful and open approach to transitioning between leadership regimes. Our Season Sponsor Visit our Friends at Promega The Interna...

There is a particular kind of individual with a particular temperament that you must identify and eliminate from hiring consideration. Doing so will save you and your team valuable time and energy, and it will prevent the poisoning of your team and its ability to nurture a communicative and collaborative environment. Our Season Sponsor Visit our Friends at Promega The International Symposium on Hu...

What is integrity and how does the study of ethics ensure that professionals will demonstrate integrity during the most difficult situations? The answer is that it can't. Ethics is a highly misunderstood and often misapplied field of study. In this episode, your host, John Collins, will discuss his new situational readiness workshop, True Integrity , and some important factors that predict the qua...

Job satisfaction leads to higher levels of energy, which translates into better engagement and better performance. But the factors leading to one's job satisfaction are complicated and often include personal matters that are outside the control of the laboratory. In this episode, John Collins discusses some of the key elements of job satisfaction and why the hiring of local talent should always be...

In this episode of the Crime Lab CoachCast, John Collins, your host and author of HR Management in the Forensic Science Laboratory - A 21st Century Approach to Effective Crime Lab Leadership , discusses the importance of filling vacant leadership positions as soon as possible. He also discusses the damage caused by unnecessary delays. For those of you involved in the selection and hiring of execut...

Jody Wolf is an award winning forensic laboratory veteran and former president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. She is one of the few forensic laboratory administrators to climb beyond the laboratory into the police command ranks. Jody is now the Chief of Staff for the Phoenix Police Department. In this episode, John speaks with Jody about her journey and love of forensic sci...

Confidence is the blissful feeling of self-assurance that you can handle whatever people or situations you encounter in your life and career. But you can lose it and, when you do, it can leave you feeling lost, hurting, and desperate for answers. The good news is that you can get it back, and in this episode you will learn how. Our Season Sponsor Visit our Friends at Promega The International Symp...