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"Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 12:17:51 PM

Vendaval

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"Judges get crash course in sciences"

By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press Writer
Sat May 5, 7:56 AM ET

" CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - As advanced science plays a larger role in courtrooms across the country, judges who earned degrees in English or the humanities face the daunting task of making informed decisions about some very technical disputes. That's why judges from across the Southeast gathered Friday for a crash course with medical and genetics experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About 60 judges are attending the conference, which is exploring emerging and often contested areas of science.
Unlike other judicial seminars, this three-day intensive training session — dubbed The Southeast Regional Science and Technology Boot Camp — aims to prepare judges for some of the most politically charged issues of the day: gene therapy, genetic discrimination, genetically modified foods, human cloning and stem cell research.

"We aren't here to weigh in on one side or another of these controversies," Dr. James Evans, a professor of genetics and medicine at UNC's School of Medicine, told The Associated Press. "But these are really the kinds of things that judges will face in the courtroom as contentious issues percolate into the courts." "

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070505/ap_on_sc/judge_science_camp;_ylt=AjaGXQdDuUcDxNs79E.mno2zvtEF

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 1:37:43 PM

thornhappy

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Way, way past time they did something like this.

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 3:15:30 PM

Vendaval

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Very true, thornhappy, the advances in technologies, research and their legal implications are very challenging for the legal system.

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 4:51:10 PM

popeye1250

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I've always been interested in science and have read numerous articles about DNA, I think the first one was in Time or Newsweek 20 years ago.
It's pretty simple stuff once you understand the concept.

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 5:25:50 PM

Vendaval

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Fascinating research isn't it, Popeye? I remember reading about DNA in high school biology,
but never thought it would become relevant to criminal law at that time.

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 5:30:41 PM

popeye1250

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Vendaval, I did. I knew it immediately!
And I could see the potential for misuse too i.e. getting blood from a hospital or mortuary to "cover one's tracks."
And I just figured that judges being the "intelligent" people they're supposed to be would be up to snuff on the "science of evidence."

< Message edited by popeye1250 -- 5/6/2007 5:32:54 PM >

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RE: "Judges get crash course in sciences" - 5/6/2007 5:34:16 PM

CuriousLord

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I've always been annoyed by the feeling that, should I stand trial for some crime I might commit, I would be tried and judged by individuals who I would likely feel are unable to understand my logic. I would not have the constitutionally-mandated "trial by peers".

More on subject, I've heard of numerous court cases throughout the years in which judges have displayed what would pass as a bear-minimal understanding of the basics of the things that they're to make a judgement on, even in their after thoughts. I feel judges should be evaluated for their ability to understand the arguments of the case before their court is allowed to accept such a case.

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