State Judges going back to school for science
Last week in the Trenton Times, I read an interesting article regarding some of our state judges going “Back to school” to learn science in order to assist them in addressing many of the new, difficult and complex scientific issues presently confronting our courts.
Specifically, what caught my attention was the fact that the judges were receiving information regarding the use of PET scans in criminal cases. While I applaud the judiciary for its willingness to stay current with today’s science, I am concerned with regard to the information that has actually been provided to these judges.
Who is giving these lectures? What biases do they bring with them? Are the judges being presented with both sides of an issue? Is there really two sides or is it simply two sides created by defense forensic “experts” who earn a living attacking accepted modern science?
Judges in this state have been and will be called upon to rule on the admissibility of new scientific evidence. The materials before them to be considered should be those documents and testimony submitted at that hearing, not information judges have been provided by some outside third party by which the participants have no way of knowing what influences the judges have been supplied in the past.
This is something that will need to be watched closely.
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