- This event has passed.
Science for Judges: A series of eight webcasts
July 9, 2019 @ 8:00 am - September 26, 2019 @ 5:00 pm
Judges are the guardians of our system of justice, but forensic developments in the last 50 years have made their jobs significantly harder. The existing rules of evidence and procedure have not always anticipated new scientific discoveries. As evidentiary gatekeepers, judges must be able to anticipate and pre-pare to rule on admission of new areas of scientific evidence. In addition, some previously admitted evidence has now been discredited by the scientific community.
The National Judicial College (NJC), however, does not believe judges need to become scientists in order to make appropriate evidentiary decisions about scientific evidence. Rather, they need to have a detailed understanding of their role in admitting scientific evidence. To achieve this, NJC and the Justice Speakers Institute, LLC will be publishing without cost the “Science Bench Book for Judges,” a resource providing tools to assist judges in making their rulings.
Each section of the book has been written by preeminent members of the judiciary and legal professionals. These authors will participate in eight corresponding live webinars over the course of the summer of 2019 which will explore the interaction of scientific evidence in our courtrooms.
- The Judicial Gatekeeper Function: Frye and Daubert
Presented by Justice Samuel A. Thumma
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - Scientific Evidence
Presented by Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack
Thursday, July 18, 2019 - Forensic Pattern Evidence & Forensic Analytical Evidence
Presented by JSI Associates Judge Kevin Burke and Marc Picker, Esq.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - DNA
Presented by Justice Ming Chin
Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - Civil Evidence
Presented by Justice Joseph Maltese and JSI Founder Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 - Criminal Evidence in Pre- and Post-Trial Procedures
Presented by a Panel: Justice Lou Butler (Ret.), JSI Founder Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.), Judge Veronica Galvan, Judge Kevin Burke
Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - Expert Evidence
Presented by JSI Founder Judge Peggy Fulton Hora (Ret.)/ co-present with Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack
Thursday, September 5, 2019 - Cyber Evidence
Presented by JSI Founder Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.) and Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack
Thursday, September 26, 2019
