August 2017 - Page 18 of 30 - searchfortruth.info

Criminal Investigation Failures

January 20, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Avoid Major Investigative Traps

What causes competent and dedicated investigators to make avoidable mistakes, jeopardizing the successful resolution of their cases? Authored by a 21-year police veteran and university research professor, Criminal Investigative Failures comprehensively defines and discusses the causes and problems most common to failed investigations. More importantly, it outlines realistic strategies for avoiding investigative pitfalls.

Illuminated with case studies, this practical resource examines three main reasons for investigative failure:

Cognitive biases, such as tunnel vision, that lead to mistakes in reasoning Organizational traps, such as groupthink, that investigators fall prey to within their agencies Probability errors, such as the prosecutor’s fallacy, in forensic science and criminal profiling

The Dangers of Assumptions and Organizational Ego

Authoritative contributors from a variety of disciplines elaborate on the aforementioned core points with commentary and case studies of well-known crimes. Written in a quick-to-grasp style, this useful text provides practical advice for avoiding investigative failures. It is an invaluable

See Also: Criminal Investigation Failures

Joe Perry and Osteen Publishing Co., Inc., Appellants, v. Harvin Bullock, in his capacity as Sumter County Coroner, Respondent.

December 22, 2018August 10, 2017 by admin

FACTUAL/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Joe Perry, a reporter for The Item, a newspaper, sent a FOIA request to Harvin Bullock, the Sumter County Coroner, for the report of the autopsy performed on Aaron Leon Jacobs. Sumter County denied Perry's request on the basis that pursuant to the FOIA, the autopsy report is a "medical record" and is therefore by definition not a public record subject to disclosure. Perry, along with Osteen Publishing Company, Inc. (collectively, Appellants), filed this declaratory judgment action against Bullock in his official capacity as Sumter County Coroner. Appellants sought injunctive relief, alleging the autopsy report is not a medical record and therefore must be disclosed pursuant to the FOIA. Appellants therefore requested production of the records and attorney's fees. Bullock answered, asserting the records are exempt from the FOIA as medical records. He also asserted the records are subject to the authorization and consent provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,

Consecutive and Random Manufactured Semi-Automatic Pistol Breech Face and Fired Cartridge Case Evaluations

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

ABSTRACT

This report describes our work on the evaluation of the impression markings on cartridge cases fired from semi-automatic pistols to determine to what extent these markings can be used to individualize a firearm and whether they can be quantified in terms the possibility that it occurred by random chance. We have been able to demonstrate that the size of the individual regions of corresponding topography on the breech faces of cartridge cases fired from the same slides were consistently larger than those that were consecutively manufactured and that there are other aspects to the matching that are not reflected by cross correlation analysis. The conclusions that can be drawn from this work are that the differences between the cross-correlation coefficients from matching and non-matching cartridge cases can not only be increased by focusing on particular sized regions of correspondence but that other approaches such as pattern recognition can also be effectively used to supplement the cross correlation techniques. Thus by modifying...

Understanding the Female Offender

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Summary

Although boys engage in more delinquent and criminal acts than do girls, female delinquency is on the rise. In 1980, boys were four times as likely as girls to be arrested; today they are only twice as likely to be arrested. In this article, Elizabeth Cauffman explores how the juvenile justice system is and should be responding to the adolescent female offender. Cauffman begins by reviewing historical trends in arrest rates, processing, and juvenile justice system experiences of female offenders. She also describes the adult outcomes commonly observed for female offenders and points out that the long-term consequences of offending for females are often more pronounced than those for males, with effects that extend to the next generation. She also considers common patterns of offending in girls, as well as factors that may increase or decrease the likelihood of offending. She then reviews what is known about effective treatment strategies for female offenders.

Violent Crime Scene Analysis Modus Operandi, Signature, and Staging

December 22, 2018August 10, 2017 by admin

Most crime scenes tell a story. And like most stories, crime scenes have characters, a plot, a beginning, a middle, and hopefully, a conclusion. However, in contrast to authors who lead their readers to a predetermined ending, the final disposition of a crime scene depends on the investigators assigned to the case. The investigators' abilities to analyze the crime scene and to determine the who, what, how, and why govern how the crime scene story unfolds. To ensure a satisfactory ending, that is, the apprehension and prosecution of the violent crime offender, investigators must realize that the outcome depends on their insight into the dynamics of human behavior. Speech patterns, writing styles, verbal and nonverbal gestures, and other traits and patterns give shape to human behavior. These individual characteristics work in concert to cause each person to act, react, function, or perform in a unique and specific way. This individualistic behavior usually remains consistent, regardless of the

Staged Crime Scenes: Crime Scene Clues to Suspect Misdirection of the Investigation

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Abstract

In the course of their career, most detectives and forensic practitioners will come into contact with a staged crime scene; a scene altered by the offender to either mislead a police investigation or for other reasons understood only by the offender. Staged scenes are possible in nearly every type of criminal offense ranging from property crimes to violent crimes. To better understand the dynamics and general nature of “staging” this article introduces three new categories of staged crime scenes based on the motive of the offender’s scene alteration. The benefit of understanding these categories is to recognize that the offender’s staging actions can be identified through common findings that are often found when crime scenes are altered.

Introduction

After the preliminary screening of a cold case has been completed and a decision is made to reopen the investigation, one of the first steps is to sit down and read the file; paying particular attention to the autopsy and forensic analysis reports,

The Impact of Sponsorship Awareness in Low Involvement Settings

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

ABSTRACT

The rapid growth of corporate sponsorship (USD $44 billion worldwide), has led to the emergence of ‘sponsorship clutter.’ As a large proportion of companies that are involved with sponsorship have a primary objective of increasing brand awareness, it has become increasingly important to determine how awareness influences consumer responses to sponsorship. However, despite a breadth of understanding surrounding sponsorship and how it impacts consumer behavior, few studies have considered sponsorship from a packaging perspective; particularly in low involvement settings. Using structural equation modeling, this research empirically investigated the relationship between awareness of sponsorship arrangements and consumer response to sponsorship packaging. Results indicate that while leveraging sponsorship on grocery packaging positively impacts consumer responses toward the brand, prior awareness appears to have little impact on this response. Further, awareness of the sponsorship arrangement moderates the relationship between the perceived fit of the arrangement and a consumer’s response to the sponsorship packaging. That is, for

Familicide: Risk Factors Characteristics of the Offender Characteristics of the Crime of Familicide and the Prevalence of Suicide Following Familicide

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Abstract

This study will be examining the risk factors to familicide, the characteristics of the offenders of familicide, the characteristics of the crime, and the prevalence of suicide following familicide. Of the literature reviewed it has been found that there are risk factors to familicide, there are known characteristics of the crime of familicide, and suicide is prevalent following familicide (Wilson et at., 1995; Brewer & Paulsen, 1999; Harper &Voigt, 2007). Findings are expected to suggest that there will be a higher poportion of cases in which the offender felt as though they were under immense stress due to the stresses and expectations of society, there will be a higher proportion of male offenders that commit suicide following familicide, that a larger proportion of familicide cases occurred in homes in which stepchildren did reside, and that indicate pre-existing drug and alcohol use is prevalent in the offenders of familicide. Familicide: Risk Factors, Characteristics of the Offender, Characteristics of the Crime of Familicide,

The Worth Of Sport Event Sponsorship: An Event Study

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Abstract

The authors investigate the relationship between sports-related event sponsorship and stock market valuation and identify factors that influence the financial rewards of sponsorship using World Cup and PGA tour sponsorship data. In particular, relationship between sports sponsorship with financial performance is examined in terms of sponsorship fit, event characteristics, and brand equity. Event study results show that sponsorship for World Cup and PGA is positively related to abnormal stock returns for sponsors but not every sponsor enjoys significantly positive cumulative abnormal returns. Regression analysis indicates that unexpectedly brand equity and U.S. country of origin is negatively associated with financial performance. However, U.S. sponsors with top brand value boost their abnormal stock return. Product fit enhances short-term financial performance but the significant impact of event type on financial outcome was not observed.

Introduction

Many companies make investment to sponsor the big sports events such as Olympic, World Cup and popular sports games. Although being official sponsor requires a huge amount of financial resource

Forensic Aspects of Ballistic Injury

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

The Clinician’s Role

Clinical forensic medicine is best defined as the application of forensic medical knowledge and techniques to the solution of law in the investigation of trauma involving living victims.1–5 In the setting of emergency departments, these techniques include the correct forensic evaluation, documentation, and photography of traumatic injuries, as well as the recognition and proper handling of evidentiary material for future use in legal proceedings.1–8 While the tasks of documenting, gathering, and preserving evidence traditionally have been considered to be the responsibility of the forensic pathologist or the police, the roles of the trauma physician and forensic investigators actually have several areas of complementary interest. These arise from the dual purposes of providing immediate care for the individual victim or patient and the longer-term reduction and prevention of injury and violence in the community as a whole.6,9 Appropriate documentation and handling of evidence by trauma personnel assist the forensic pathologist in evaluating cases of initially nonfatal traumatic deaths and assist the police

Eliminating Potential Competition: Mergers Involving Constraining And Prospective Competitors

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

I. Introduction

The importance of potential competition as a constraint on market power has been recognized in the industrial organization literature at least since work by Bain. Subsequent economic theory has formalized the relationship between firms not currently producing in an industry and market performance, and considerable empirical evidence confirms the role of such firms. Indeed, current U.S. merger policy has elevated entry conditions to co-equal status with concentration among incumbent firms as factors determining competitive effects and likely policy: A merger or acquisition between firms in a concentrated market may well be permitted if the prospects for entry into the industry can be shown to be timely, likely, and sufficient to restore the pre-merger degree of competition. In light of this heightened recognition of the effect of potential competitors, it is ironic that under current policy a merger between an incumbent firm and the same potential competitor that imposes such a constraint is

The State Of South Carolina Office Of The Attorney General

February 13, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Dear Coroner Watts:

You seek an opinion regarding a new statute recently enacted, S. C. Code Ann. Sec. 17-5-53 5. This new law makes autopsy photographs or videos confidential and provides criminal penalties for violation thereof. Both you, as well as the Coroners' Association, "agree with keeping videos and photographs out of the hands of the general public." However, you also are of the opinion that "photographs and/or videos are an intricate part of our continuing education and are often used in training sessions and seminars." You request "a written ... opinion that clears us to use photographs and/or videos in appropriate training circumstances."

A Rhetorical Journey into Darkness: Crime-Scene Profiling as Burkean Analysis

February 14, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Abstract:

This essay focuses upon dramatistic nature of crime scene profiling, the technique used to infer the motivations that underlie a baffling but increasingly familiar human act: the “stranger killing.” It argues that this technique of interpreting the symbolic “text” of the crime scene is essentially a rhetorical method that employs with different names the elements and ratios of Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad. My study, like other broad applications of Burkean principles, both validates Burke’s observation of the ubiquity of the two principal dramatistic ratios (act-scene and scene-agent) and affirms the symbolic infusion of all human action, including acts of identification through extreme mortification.

THE MAJOR FEATURE OF ANY STORY of unprovoked violent crime is the baffling question of why such acts occur. Because they are typically random, and because they appear to be without motive as it is commonly understood, these crimes compel our attention even as they terrify and confound us. “Who done...

Managing Intellectual Property in the Book Publishing Industry

February 19, 2019August 10, 2017 by Cyril

INTRODUCTION

At the heart of the book publishing industry lies the ability of a publisher to select or commission content that the reading public will be ready to purchase, which will satisfy their interests in a variety of thematic areas. Book publishers produce this content in print and/or in other formats (electronic versions of books, periodicals, websites, blogs, etc.) and use sales and marketing skills to sell this content to readers. Book publishers are creators, acquirers, custodians, and managers owners and users of intellectual property rights. They possess certain rights in the books they produce and sell, and they hold other rights on behalf of third parties. Their business involves exploiting the rights of others, just as they equally seek to defend and protect what is theirs and what they have been entrusted to defend. Publishers therefore have a professional interest in exploiting these rights to the best advantage of their authors as well as themselves. They are thus obliged to treat the rights of others with respect....

Interpretations Of Legal Criteria For Involuntary Psychiatric Admission: A Qualitative Analysis

February 18, 2019August 10, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Background: The use of involuntary admission in psychiatry may be necessary to enable treatment and prevent harm, yet remains controversial. Mental health laws in high-income countries typically permit coercive treatment of persons with mental disorders to restore health or prevent future harm. Criteria intended to regulate practice leave scope for discretion. The values and beliefs of staff may become a determinating factor for decisions. Previous research has only to a limited degree addressed how legal criteria for involuntary psychiatric admission are interpreted by clinical decision-makers. We examined clinicians’ interpretations of criteria for involuntary admission under the Norwegian Mental Health Care Act. This act applies a status approach, whereby involuntary admission can be used at the presence of mental disorder and need for treatment or perceived risk to the patient or others. Further, best interest assessments carry a large justificatory burden and open for a range of extra-legislative factors to be considered.

Methods: Deductive thematic analysis was used. Three ideal types of attitudes-to-coercion were developed,