My parents always taught me that ignorance was no defense. That advice was some of the best I ever received amongst other tidbits of everyday life situations. The Supreme Court ruled the same thing yesterday in Salinas v. Texas and I am unaware if my parents had any say in the decision. In another 5-4 ...
Not Controlling the Crime Scene By: Joseph L. Giacalone During any homicide investigation there are many things that can go wrong. You don’t get a second chance to do it right. This isn’t the playground where you can scream “Do over!” However, some mistakes can be avoided altogether through careful planning, supervision and the ability ...
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court decided that taking a DNA sample upon arrest for a serious crime was no different than taking photographs or fingerprints. The case that brought it to the Court was Maryland v. King (docket 12-207). Nearly 28 states in the Union were already doing this procedure, so the impact ...
This past week, the Greenwich Police Department sponsored a Five (5) Day Homicide and Death Investigations Course at their police headquarters. Joe Giacalone and other practitioners in the field, including the new Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut, Dr. James Gill, taught an intensive course of study in homicide and death investigations to 54 detectives and ...
As of May 1, 2013, all police departments in the state of Connecticut will be mandated to implement new eyewitness identification procedures that are designed to prevent mis-identification and subsequently wrongful convictions. In response to the Innocence Project and other advocate groups, Connecticut has implemented real change in the way the police conduct eyewitness identification. ...
