Justice Department Announces Plans to Advance Forensic Science

Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein announced new Department of Justice policies to advance forensic science at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 70th Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, Washington today. The new guidance implements additional quality assurance measures based on science-informed practices, enhances forensic capacity and efficiency, and increases coordination and collaboration between the Department and state, local, and federal partners.

“President Trump ordered the Department of Justice to reduce crime, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made it the Department’s top priority to achieve that goal,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “Forensic science, used appropriately, will help us accomplish our mission. The policies that I am announcing today will advance the Justice Department’s commitment to reliable science that helps us to find and report the truth.”

Announcements today include:

• Release of Department of Justice approved Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports for use by Department forensic examiners to provide testimonial consistency and quality assurance;
• Initiation of Department-wide testimony monitoring practices to ensure testimonial consistency and accountability by Department forensic examiners;
• To increase transparency, Department forensic laboratories supporting criminal investigations and prosecutions will begin publicly posting current quality management system documents and summaries of internal validation studies online;
• Leading federal efforts to advance forensic science, the Department announced the re-chartering of the Council of Federal Forensic Laboratory Directors, which will begin meeting again this May.  All executive branch agencies with forensic laboratories and digital analysis entities are invited and encouraged to join.

View full remarks here.

View the “Department of Justice Approved Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports for the Forensic Latent Print Discipline” here.

View the “Department of Justice Testimony Monitoring Framework” here.

View the Memo here.