[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41351-41352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14975]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[Docket No. OLP 158]
Notice of Public Comment Period on the Presentation of the
Forensic Science Discipline Review Framework
AGENCY: Department of Justice.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the opening of the public comment period
on the Forensic Science Discipline Review (FSDR) of testimony draft
methodology.
DATES: Written public comment regarding the draft methodology should be
submitted through www.regulations.gov before August 1, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Legal Policy, 950
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530, by phone at 202-514-4601
or via email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The goal of the Forensic Science Discipline Review (FSDR) of
testimony is to advance the use of forensic science in the courtroom by
understanding its use in recent cases and to facilitate any necessary
steps to ensure that expert forensic testimony is consistent with
scientific principles and just outcomes. In order to accomplish this
goal, the Department is planning a Department-level review of forensic
testimony by Department personnel beginning with an examination of FBI
testimony. The Department proposes to review and evaluate trial
testimony provided by FBI forensic examiners in several forensic
disciplines in state and federal cases for a five-year period (2008-
2012). All cases in which an FBI examiner testified in these
disciplines--and for which a transcript can be obtained--are proposed
to be reviewed. Which disciplines will be reviewed and the order in
which disciplines will be reviewed has not been determined, in part
because the development of the FSDR testimonial standards, against
which the testimony of Department personnel will be compared, is
ongoing.
The Department is undertaking this review because it is good
management to conduct macro-level program reviews and not because of
known or suspected problems with particular forensic science
disciplines. The draft methodology proposes specific methodological
decisions to evaluate testimony and seeks comment on additional issues.
All elements in the draft methodology are subject to revision and
comment is invited.
Posting of Public Comments: To ensure proper handling of comments,
please reference ``Docket No. OLP 158'' on all electronic and written
correspondence. The Department encourages all comments on this draft
methodology be submitted electronically through www.regulations.gov
using the electronic comment form provided on that site. Paper comments
that duplicate the electronic submission are not necessary as all
comments submitted to www.regulations.gov will be posted for public
review and are part of the official docket record.
In accordance with the Federal Records Act, please note that all
comments received are considered part of the public record, and shall
be made available for public inspection online at www.regulations.gov.
The comments to be posted may include personally identifiable
information (such as your name, address, etc.) and confidential
business information voluntarily submitted by the commenter.
DOJ will post all comments received on www.regulations.gov without
making any changes to the comments or redacting any information,
including any personally identifiable information provided. It is the
responsibility of the commenter to safeguard personally identifiable
information. You are not required to submit personally identifying
information in order to comment on this presentation DOJ recommends
that commenters not include personally identifiable information such as
Social Security Numbers, personal addresses, telephone numbers, and
email addresses that they do not want made public in their comments as
such submitted information will be available to the public via
www.regulations.gov. Comments submitted through www.regulations.gov
will not include the email address of the commenter unless the
commenter chooses to
[[Page 41352]]
include that information as part of his or her comment.
Dated: June 21, 2016.
Kira Antell,
Senior Counsel, Office of Legal Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-14975 Filed 6-23-16; 8:45 am]
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