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 International Symposium on Human Identification (2024)

Events and Workshops

ISHI 2024 Workshops - San Antonio (September 2024)

AFQAM 2024 - Daytona Beach, Florida

True Intergity at AFQAM - Registration Page

Show Notes and Links

Election Forensics

Wall Street Journal on Cannibis and Impaired Driving

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 Human Identification (2024)

Events and Workshops

ISHI 2024 Workshops - San Antonio (September 2024)

AFQAM 2024 - Daytona Beach, Florida

True Intergity at AFQAM - Registration Page

Show Notes and Links

Traces of Doubt: The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee (NBC)

The ASCLD LEAP Network

HR Management in the Forensic Science Laboratory (Book)

John speaks with forensic science veteran, educator, and philosopher, Max Houck, to discuss some of the deeper issues facing forensic science laboratories today. Join Max and John as they tackle issues such as the relationships between laboratories and police agencies, standards, acceditation, the future of forensic science, and some interesting bits of historical fact that brought forensic science to where it is today. 

Our Seasonal Sponsor

Promega and the International Symposium on Human Identification

Program References

Visit Max Houck

Forensic Science Inernational - Synergy

Jay Siegel - In Memorium

Washington Post on Max Houck's Departure

Bad things happen in all occupations, but when nightmares come true, it's vital that your team stick together to come out on the other side better than you were before. In this episode of the CoachCast, John Collins discusses the one mistake and the one fantasy that get in the way of forensic science laboratories seeking to address - and prevent - a crisis or catastrophic failure. 

Our Seasonal Sponsor

Promega and the International Symposium on Human Identification

Program References

NIST 2023 Environmental Scan

Max Houck on Substack

Colorado DNA Misconduct Case

Employees can only motivate themselves, a truth that invites important questions about what both managers and employees should be prioritizing in their efforts to contribute toward a high-energy laboratory team. John Collins, "America's Crime Lab Coach," shares his tips and ideas in this next edition of the Crime Lab COACH Cast.

References

Promega - 2024 Season Sponsor

Talent is Overrated (Book)

The New Superior (Book) by John Collins

In this 3rd episode of the 2024 season, John reaches into his bag of coaching strategies to help listeners cope effectively with people having pathologically challenging personalities.

References

Promega (Season Sponsor)

Coping with Difficult People (Book by R Bramson, PhD)

John Collins speaks with Tim Kupferschmid, Chief of Laboratories for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Tim is also the current president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. In this episode, Tim shares his thoughts on current events and issues facing today's forensic science laboratories, as well as the issues that will confront laboratory administrators in the near and distant future.

Special thanks to our 2024 season sponsor, Promega. 

References

2020 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Science Crime Laboratories

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner - Laboratories

DNA Gun Crimes Unit

SCOTUS - Smith v. Arizona

In this first episode of our 4th season, John Collins chats with Mark Stolorow, the former Deputy Director of the Special Programs Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he was also the Director for OSAC Affairs (Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science). The mission of OSAC is to produce consensus documentary standards and guidelines to improve quality and consistency of work in the forensic science community.  Mark shares his own history and path that led him to a successful career in forensic science, and shares his thoughts about the ongoing effort to "harmonize" progress in forensic science.

References

Visit our season sponsor, Promega!

NIST Forensic Science Website

In this Crime Lab COACH Cast update, John discusses the newly released 2020 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Science Crime Laboratories, the upcoming SCOTUS ruling in Smith v. Arizona, and strategies for dealing with artificial intelligence "cheating" when administering essay questions during the application process for new scientists.

References

Smith v. Arizona

2020 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories

Ann MacPhetridge is the Senior Manager in charge of Genetic Identity Commercialization & Marketing at Promega Corporation. Ann speaks with John Collins about the rewards and challenges of commercializing and marketing within the forensic science marketplace. She also explains the history of the ISHI meeting and the impact DNA scientists have had on the entire forensic laboratory community.

References

Visit Promega

ISHI (International Symposium on Human Identification)

DocuSeries: Innocence After Guilt

Houston DA Wants Lab to Outsources Cases

The top decisions-makers at the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Forensic Science join John Collins to discuss an innovative approach to developing and building support for case submission policies. Nicole Roehm and Jennifer Naugle explain the history of the committee, the benefits of the committee on keeping backlogs down, and what's happening nationally with regards to the establishment of forensic science advisory committees and/or regulatory commissions.

References

Evidence Submission in Wisconsin

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 quality of decisions people will make when everything is on the line.

Our Season Sponsor

Visit our Friends at Promega

The International Symposium on Human Identification (2024)

Events and Workshops

ISHI 2024 Workshops - San Antonio (September 2024)

AFQAM 2024 - Daytona Beach, Florida

True Intergity at AFQAM - Registration Page

Indi Young is an expert at teaching clients how to prevent false assumptions from causing damage to themselves and their customers. The author of 3 books, Indi speaks with John Collins about how she evaluates individuals to understand how they think, and why they think it. Perhaps it's time to stop dwelling on bias and begin thinking about mental models and how they can be leveraged to our advantage.

References

Visit Indi Young's Website

Indi Young's Book Author Page

Peter Stout is the president and director of the Houston Forensic Science Center. He and John Collins discuss the current political climate in the Houston criminal justice system, its past challenges, and some potentially game-changing blind-testing strategies being employed by Stout and his team.

References

Proceedings of the NAS (Forensic Articles Coming Soon)

Stout Turned Around Houston Lab (News)

Police Union Calls for Stout's Resignation

Backlogs at the Houston Lab (News)

The Secret Life of Crime Labs (Stout)

Forensic Papers by PNAS

After welcoming Promega as the first sponsor of the Crime Lab COACH Cast, John Collins discusses some sensitive advocacy issues related to claims that forensic science disciplines are invalid or unreliable. Are crime laboratories putting out "junk science," or is "junk activism" misportraying the reality of forensic science methods? Maybe both? You be the judge.

Sponsorship Links

Promega

International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI)

References

Bias Bullying I

Bias Bullying II (Mental Modeling)

Junk Science vs. Junk Activism? A Decision for the Courts

Chris Fabricant

Dr. Itiel Dror

American Academy of Forensic Sciences

John Collins brings you up to speed on some more forensic controversy out of Houston, and shares a valuable interview tip for evaluating the potential of new forensic laboratory scientists to develop into effective expert witnesses. It's a busy day here at the Crime Lab COACH Cast. See you in the studio!

References

News out of Houston

Pamela Marshall is the Associate Professor and Director of the Forensic Science and Law masters program at Duquesne University. In this episode, John chats with Dr. Marshall about the state of forensic science education in the United States, and what employers in forensic science need to know about the new generation of students who will become tomorrow's workforce.

References

Duquesne University Forensic Science and Law

ASCLD LEAP Program

Aurthur Eisenberg Obituary

Kermit Channell is the Executive Director of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. In this conversation with Director Channell, John Collins asks about his coming retirement, his career in forensic science, the outlook for forensic labs in the next 10 to 20 years, and the priorities laboratory administrators will have as the profession continues to evolve. 

References

Kermit Channell Retirement Announcement

Your host, John M. Collins, has issued a press release making an official statement on the significance of the recent federal court ruling holding Dr. Henry Lee liable for malpractice in the investigation of a 1985 homicide. John's comments are intended to put the situation, at least preliminarily, into proper context so that recent events aren't use to unfairly attack today's trustworthy, reliable forensic scientists.

References

Statement by John M. Collins (Video - 9mm)

Report by the Associated Press

Shawn Henning Case - National Registry of Exonerations

Press release by John Collins not active at the time of this podcast release. Please visit criticalvictories.com/newsroom to view John's press releases.

You are naturally wired to lead and influence in a particular way, but do you know what that way is? Do you know how your employees and colleagues are wired? If you don't, you have an amazing opportunity. In this impactful episode of the COACH Cast, John Collins discusses the workshop he facilitated at the 50th annual symposium of the American Society of Crime Laboratory directors. Listen to John as he discusses how he utilizes the Clifton Strengths assessment to help his forensic laboratory clients, and what talents and strengths are emerging as the most common across the forensic laboratory community. This is an episode you don't want to miss.

References

The New Superior (Paperback Pre-Print)
Link will be provided when Amazon pre-print is ready

DEA Release on Fentanyl and Xylazine

Random characteristics are the basis of the forensic pattern identification disciplines but, too often, examiners testify about randomness without understanding what it means or if it's even a scientifically legitimate principle. It is legitimate and this episode explains why.

References

Memphis, Tenn Crime Lab Debate

Stochastics article by John Collins

International Journal of Stochastics

What happens when a judge tries to influence or intimidate an expert witness into testifying a certain way? John will explain how you can handle this situation. John will also follow up on the previous CoachCast episode on firearm identification and its scientific underpinnings.

References

Firearm OSAC

Firearm Examiner Accuracy - Part 1

Firearm Examiner Accuracy - Part 2

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 an option worthy of serious consideration.

Our Season Sponsor

Visit our Friends at Promega

The International Symposium on Human Identification (2024)

ISHI 2024 Workshops - San Antonio (September 2024)

In Illinois v. Rickey Winfield (15CR1406601), Judge William Hicks blocked firearm identification testimomy (Feb 2023). And, as usual, the significance of the ruling is being misinterpreted and misapplied in some of the media reporting. John Collins tells us what we need to know about this case and what we can learn from it.

References

Commentary By Radley Balko

Court Ruling in Winfield

Adina Schwartz

Association of Firearm & Toolmark Examiners

Amy Curtis Jenkins is the founding president of the National Association of Forensic Laboratory Counsel, an emerging membership organization for attorneys specializing in the legal representation of public forensic science laboratories. In this episode, John Collins chats with Amy about embedded legal counsel and the issues they address.

References

National Association of Forensic Laboratory Counsel

John Collins interviews Dr. John Morgan about his recent study exploring the impact that forensic evidence had in convictions that were later overturned. 

References

Wrongful convictions and claims of false or misleading forensic evidence (Morgan)

Wrongful Convictions and Forensic Science Errors: Case Studies and Root Causes (Book)

Visit Dr. John Morgan Online (Website)

Supplanting is the cutting of a normal operating budget and replacing those funds with grants or other allocations. It is an impermissible use of federal forensic programs, but has other dangers as well.

References:

Paul Coverdell - Competitive

CFSO Funding Page

OJP Supplanting Guide Sheet

In today's episode, John Collins shares a historical perspective on why many of today's forensic scientists may be struggling in the courtroom and what laboratory administrators can do to start fixing the problem.

Recorded from Phoenix, Arizon, John Collins discusses "points of credibility" in the courtroom and the potential impact that visible tattoos and piercings can have on how expert witnesses are perceived by a jury.

In this episode of the Crime Lab COACH Cast, John Collins discusses the subject of implicit bias and explains why bias is not - and should not - be the focus of our attention. 

References

• Greenwald, A. G., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2015). Statistically small effects of the Implicit Association Test can have societally large effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 553-561. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000016
• Oswald, F. L., Mitchell, G., Blanton, H., Jaccard, J., & Tetlock, P. E. (2015). Predicting ethnic and racial discrimination: A meta-analysis of IAT criterion studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 562-584. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000010
• Nosek, B. A., & Smyth, F. L. (2007). A multitrait-multimethod validation of the Implicit Association Test: Implicit and explicit attitudes are related but distinct constructs. Experimental Psychology, 54(1), 14-29. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169.54.1.14
• Blanton, H., Jaccard, J., González, P., & Christie, C. (2006). Decoding the Implicit Association Test: Implications for criterion prediction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42(2), 192-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2005.04.004
• Lane, K. A., Banaji, M. R., Nosek, B. A., & Greenwald, A. G. (2007). Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: IV. What we know (so far). In B. Wittenbrink & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Implicit measures of attitudes: Procedures and controversies (pp. 59-102). Guilford Press.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of studies and reviews related to IATs, and there may be other studies with different findings or perspectives on this topic. 

Ahead of the 50 annual symposium of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, John Collins reflects on an unusual confluence of events that created an opportunity for him and his laboratory to go beyond the confines of forensic science to meet an urgent need that no one could have predicted.

In this episode of the Crime Lab COACH Cast, John Collins speaks with Matthew Gamette, the Director of the Idaho State Police Forensic Laboratory System and Chair of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations. Matthew joins John to discuss the establishment of the National Technology Validation and Implementation Collaborative (NTVIC) and the gamechanging impact it will likely have on how new methods and technologies are studied and launched in America's forensic science laboratories.

References

Forensic Science International - Synergy Article
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X23000049

The 2023 calendar year is underway. Recording from downtown Baton Rouge near the site of this week's Advanced Expert Witnessing workshop, John shares his perspective on the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence and its inevitable impact on forensic science and the enterprise of expert witnessing. You thought attorneys were powerful in the courtroom before?  We haven't seen anything like this before.

References

Critical Victories Forensic Programs

Open AI - ChatGPT

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 executive forensic laboratory administrators, you won't want to miss this episode.

Our Season Sponsor

Visit our Friends at Promega

The International Symposium on Human Identification (2024)

References

Smith v. Arizona (SCOTUS Blog)

HR Management in the Forensic Science Laboratory (2018)

In this special holiday episode of The Crime Lab COACH Cast, John Collins has some things he'd like you to think about as you wind down your 2022 and look forward to a healthy and productive 2023.

The Department of Justice announced its forensic science funding initiatives for the coming year.  In this episode, we discuss the lack of funding and political support for nonDNA disciplines and the problems it causes for America' crime laboratories.

Program References

DOJ Announcement

Debbie Smith Act

Paul Coverdell Program

IACP Forensics Committee

In this episode, John Collins seeks to inform a newer generation of forensic science professionals about the Innocence Network and the post-conviction litigation enterprise. 

Program References

Crime Lab Report (By John Collins, 2019)

Gallup on Public Death Penalty Opinion

Dr. Jon Gould on Erroneous Convictions

Gary Dotson

Ted Bundy

Recorded from the site of the 33rd International Symposium on Human Identification in Washington, DC, John Collins discusses the growing concern of laboratory decision-makers about the skills of scientists to perform effectively on the witness stand. Are we developing our forensic scientists the right way, and are we emphasizing expert witnessing skills in our training programs? John Collins, author of 50 Situations Awaiting Every Forensic Scientist, shares his thoughts.

In today's show, John discusses the launch of The New Superior leadership coaching program, while also sharing his own experience of hiring coaches and consultants to help him in his business endeavors.

Program References

The New Superior Coaching Program

Annie Dookhan Crime Lab Scandal

FBI Uniform Crime Reports

In this week's show, John discusses the recent handwriting study published by the FBI Laboratory, and announces the creation of The New Superior Executive Coaching Program based on his book, The New Superior: A Better Way to Be the One in Charge.

Program References:

The New Superior - Book Home Page

The New Superior Executive Coaching Program

FBI Laboratory Release on Handwriting Study

Scientific American report on FBI Handwriting Study

Alec Baldwin movie set shooting

New Orleans Crime Laboratory Troubles

About: In this episode of The Crime Lab COACH Cast, John explains the phases that individuals pass through during their careers, and the age at which knowledge and ways of thinking make a dramatic shift.  This shift must be understood if forensic science laboratories are to fully leverage the talent of older employees and the contributions that only they can provide.

Episode References:

Podcast: Critical Victories on Criticism, Chaos, and Control

Article: Gallup on Retirement Trends

Book: Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks

Book: The New Superior

Bitterness and resentments can build up over time. John Collins explains factors that lead to career-toxifying emotions.

Listen to John Collins as he explains the two types of interpersonal communication styles, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with both.

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 science laboratories, and what she's observed and experienced in forensic science along the way. You don't want to miss this chat with one of America's most influential forensic laboratory leaders.

Our Season Sponsor

Visit our Friends at Promega

The International Symposium on Human Identification (2024)

References

Video - Elevating Women in Law Enforcement - With Jody Wolf

There is no such thing as junk science. There is only science that's applied poorly. In this episode of the Crime Lab COACH Cast, John Collings explains why the difference is important.

John podcasts from the site of the 2022 ASCLD Symposium in Reno, Nevada.  Today's Coach's Briefing is about putting your leadership process above your leadership personality.

This week, John discusses a new discipline section created within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and he tackles the frustrating and challenging problem of workplace favoritism, the damage it causes, and how to deal with it.