Profs & Pints Baltimore: Forensic Flaws

Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “Forensic Flaws,” a critical look at how criminal investigations can go wrong, with Dr. Jeff Kukucka, professor of psychology at Towson University and consultant to crime labs, law offices, and government agencies.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://profsandpints.ticketleap.com/forensicflaws/ .]

Although forensic science often plays a crucial role in solving crimes, it isn’t nearly as foolproof as television shows make it seem. In fact, mistakes by forensic scientists have contributed to over 1,000 wrongful convictions in the United States, with the result often being that innocent people get sent to prison while the real perpetrators remain free to victimize others.

Why do these mistakes happen? The simple answer is that forensic scientists are humans prone to the same flaws in their thinking as the rest of us.

Gain an in-depth understanding of how this happens with Professor Jeff Kukucka, a psychologist whose work sheds light on the human element of forensic science and seeks to optimize how crime labs function and minimize the risk of costly mistakes, including wrongful convictions.

Using familiar and interactive examples, Dr. Kukucka will explain how our brains automatically simplify or even distort information in ways that are helpful in our everyday lives—enabling us to navigate the world safely and efficiently—but problematic when it comes to criminal investigations.

He’ll discuss how unreliable “junk science” finds its way into courtrooms, how unconscious bias can lead one medical examiner to judge a death as an accident while another judges the very same death as a murder, and why even experts sometimes miss important information that’s right in front of them.

He’ll also describe his experiences testifying in court and working with government agencies to improve forensic science practices, and he’ll talk about why some crime labs have embraced reforms while others still resist them.

Whether you’re going to jury duty or simply listening to the latest true crime podcast, Dr. Kukucka’s talk will surely change the way you think about forensic science. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Doors open at 5. The talk begins at 6:30.)

Image from Canva.