POST: The PCAST report gives an in-depth look at the current state of certain forensic science disciplines. It makes recommendations as to the use of forensic science evidence in court, improvements to be made in research and improvements to be made in forensic science in general. ........This report will be very useful in the courtroom, as it uses a framework to assess scientific validity that mirrors the NC Rule of Evidence 702, which governs the admissibility of expert testimony. The report evaluates whether eight areas of forensic evidence are foundationally valid and validly applied, which are equivalent to prongs two and three of Rule 702 (whether the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods (prong 2) and whether the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case (prong 3))....The summary for each discipline examined is as follows.........This report will be useful for attorneys considering a challenge to testimony by forensic experts, as it explains in an accessible way what must be shown to demonstrate reliable principles and methods and reliable application of those principles and methods in a particular case. It is a worthwhile read for every criminal advocate as it suggests a framework for making a rigorous challenge to the admissibility of expert testimony. The National Association for Public Defense is offering a webinar entitled, Denuding the Emperor: Understanding and Using the PCAST Forensic Science Report at 1:00 pm on Dec. 2, 2016. Andrew Northrup, Assistant Public Defender in the Maryland Office of the Public Defender will discuss how the PCAST report can be used in the courtroom. The program is free of charge for NAPD members and $20 for non-members.
https://ncforensics.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/using-the-pcast-report-in-the-courtroom/