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Comment by pg | Hacker News Reader

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_...

computer forensics is currently in much the same state that arson forensics was at the time Texas sentenced Willingham to death. as far as I know, it hasn't killed anyone, yet...

I don't know about killed, but every time I read a blurb buried somewhere about a child porn trial (based, invariably, on the contents of a computer), I think back to one or two known cases of someone planting CP on another computer and trying to frame the owner...

There was the company that sold the US a system to find hidden messages in Al Jazera videos - I think that got a few people a trip to the orange suited holiday camp before everybody discovered it was a con

Speaking of errors in computer forensics:

http://wordpress.bladeforensics.com/?p=357

Magical thinking alive and well in america. The New Yorker paints a picture of good evidence finally being heard. Reality tells a different story.

"Days before the meeting, however, Gov. Rick Perry replaced the commission chairman with Bradley, district attorney in Williamson County. The session at which Beyler was scheduled to speak was canceled, and the fire expert never appeared before the body."

"But the Texas Forensic Science Commission panel heading the inquiry also found insufficient evidence to prove that state Deputy Fire Marshal Manuel Vasquez and Corsicana Assistant Fire Chief Douglas Fogg were negligent or guilty of misconduct in their arson work."

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Flawed-scien...

Nothing more powerful than magical thinking and politics combined.

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