Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth About Forensic Science

Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth About Forensic Science with Tebah Browne, Forensic Science Policy Specialist at the Innocence Project and Kenneth Kreuscher, Director of the Oregon Innocence Project.

Sept 15, 7-9pm | Doors at 6pm | McMenamins Kennedy School

For years, television crime dramas have convinced us that forensic science is always exact, objective, and nearly infallible. The reality is much more complex. No one knows that better than the people unfortunate enough to experience a wrongful conviction due to flawed, misapplied, or overstated forensic science. Across the US and right here in Oregon, attorneys and experts are working to help these people clear their names and free them from unjust incarceration.

This eye-opening presentation will explore what the popular presentation of forensic science misses: that while it can be an incredible tool for investigating and solving crime, it can also fail us or be misused. Learn why some forensic science disciplines lack the rigorous scientific foundation you’d expect, why not all forensic evidence is the same, and how faulty forensic practices contribute to wrongful convictions.

Whether you’re a true crime enthusiast, a legal professional, or just curious about how the legal system works, this talk will challenge what you think you know about guilt and innocence.

Tebah Browne is the Forensic Science Policy Specialist at the Innocence Project. In this role, she assists with policy work that focuses on the reliability, validity, and regulation of forensic science methods and technologies. Before joining the Innocence Project, Tebah worked at the Legal Aid Society’s DNA Unit as the in-house scientist and DNA analyst. Tebah holds B.S and M.S. degrees in forensic science, with concentrations in molecular biology and toxicology, from John Jay College. She also has a Ph.D. in forensic science from Oklahoma State University.

Kenneth Kreuscher is the Director of the Oregon Innocence Project. He has been a criminal defense and civil rights attorney since 2006. He has represented criminal defendants and civil rights plaintiffs in both state and federal court at trial, on direct appeal, on state post-conviction, and on habeas review. His criminal case work has ranged from protest-related violations to death penalty murders, and everything in between. His professional passions have always been on combating governmental overreach and to focus on using his skills (and access) as a lawyer to work for a more just and equitable world.

If you are unable to join us in person, you can watch on Zoom. You must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.