LS201 Course Description

Forensic Science & Miscarriages of Justice:

Reforming the Forensic Science Community

Note: Craig Cooley, MS is a guest instructors of Knowledge Solutions LLC.
He can be reached at: c-cooley@law.northwestern.edu

For administrative information regarding this course
please contact us via our request form.

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Purposes and Objectives
Lesson Plan
Requirements
Instructor
Textbook
Is this course for me?
Course Schedule
Cost
Registration
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Purposes and Objectives:

This course is designed to introduce forensic science, criminal justice and legal consumers to the ever-growing problems associated with the forensic science community.
Forensic science has proved to be an invaluable tool for law enforcement and the criminal justice sectors for more than a century. Nonetheless, the DNA and non-DNA exonerations have highlighted various weaknesses with respect to the forensic science community. Forensic science stands only behind eyewitness misidentification for the number one cause of wrongful convictions-wrongful convictions equating to factually innocent persons. Though each wrongful conviction is an injustice of the most unacceptable sort, each injustice affords us an opportunity to critically view the inter-workings of the forensic science community. By critically evaluating these cases and the community's infrastructure, tradition, educational agenda and affiliation with state-sponsored agencies, we will set out to articulate a core group of reforms that can decrease the ever increasing number of forensically caused wrongful convictions. Accordingly, some of the various topics that will be discussed:

• Historical aspects of forensic science
• Forensic science’s beneficial aspects
• The DNA exonerations and its impact on forensic science
• Erroneous forensic science and wrongful convictions
• Forensic fraud and erroneous convictions
• Crime lab scandals and mishaps
• Forensic science & the death penalty
• Forensic science’s limitations
• Forensic science research
• Traditional aspects of science education vs. forensic science education
• Reforms for the forensic science community

For a full syllabus, please refer here:
LS201 Syllabus.

Lesson Plan:

The course consists of a weekly online lesson plan in the form of an HTML (web) page, with assigned reading, and assigned questions. In addition, the instructor is always available by email.

For a full syllabus, please link to the syllabus.

The weekly lessons plans will follow the syllabus in structure, but will include lecture materials, reading assignments, discussion topics for the web-based discussion forum, etc.

Requirements:

1. The following software and skills are required for successful completion of this course:

• A familiarity with computers and their operation.
• An understanding of the Internet and how to access its resources.
• Competency with and access to Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer or another forms capable browser, with the ability to view both text and images.
• A valid email address and familiarity with sending and receiving email.

3. For those students who would like a certificate of completion for the course, an open-book, online final exam consisting of short answer essay questions will be administered.
   
   Certificates of completion are given to those who have taken the final exam and passed. Certificates are prepared and mailed quarterly.

Instructor:

Craig Cooley, MS

Craig Cooley earned his M.S. in Forensic Science from the University of New Haven. He is currently an Investigator with the Illinois State Appellate Defenders Death Penalty Unit, and is completing his law degree at Northwestern University School of Law.

He can be reached for comment or consultation by contacting:

The Illinois State Appellate Defenders Death Penalty Trial Assistant Unit; 600 West Jackson, Suite 610; Chicago, Illinois; 60661;
Phone (312) 793-1259.
Email: c-cooley@law.northwestern.edu.
You may also want to visit his Law-Forensic.com website.

To learn more about Craig, please click on his name above to be taken to the Instructors page.

Textbook:

The recommended text for this course is: Tainting Evidence: Inside the Scandals at the FBI Crime Lab by John F. Kelly Please note: This book is a useful supplement to the course, but is not required. While a number of readings are assigned from the book, the student will gather the same amount and quality of information from the supplemental readings provided. These supplemental readings will primarily involve law review articles, case law and other scientific journal articles. This book can be easily purchased from our online Forensic Science Bookstore. Just click on the book link to the right.

 

Another useful and informative book is: Justice and Nightmares: Success and Failures of Forensic Science in Australia and New Zealand by Paul Wilson This book can be easily purchased from our online Forensic Science Bookstore. Just click on the book link to the right.

Is this course for me?

Please be sure to read the syllabus, to see what topics will be covered.

This course is open to the general public. People who will directly benefit from this course are:

• Attorneys
• Law Students
• Criminal Justice Professionals,
• Law Enforcement Personal,
• Sociologists,
• Sociology students,
• Forensic Science practitioners,
• Forensic Science students
• Law makers, etc.

Course Schedule:

Starting Date:	TBA
Ending Date:	TBA

Please note the Saturday start date for this 4-week course.

Maximum course size:	50 students
Time Commitment:	5 + hours / week

Please note: Due to the nature of our online courses, course materials and the discussion forum are available 24 hours a day and can be accessed according to the student's individual schedule. Thus, the time commitment can only be an estimate on our part and will vary from student to student.

Cost:

Total registration fee per student is $120.00 US. This does not include the price of the textbook.

Registration:

To register, please click on the registration link at the top of this page.

The deadline for registrations & payments is:

TBA

Please note: Payment by check or money order must arrive at our office, and credit card payment must be authorized, no later than the Registration & Payment deadline in order to ensure enrollment and to avoid a $20 late charge. Late registrations are accepted after the deadline as long as the course remains open for registration; generally the first week or two of the course. Refund policy - We regret that we cannot refund enrollment fees if you choose to withdraw from a course once you have confirmed your registration with payment. Please see the Student FAQ for more details or write the Director of Forensic Services with any questions.

For more information about how a Knowledge Solutions course works, please consult the FAQ. Or, contact us.

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