Reporting and Testimony

Results of forensic analyses have a wide audience: law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, juries, and victims. Significant variability exists as to the scope, contents, and disclosure of forensic science reports and the accompanying standards and terminology used by the author-experts to describe their results and conclusions in their reports and in their testimony. The Reporting and Testimony Subcommittee considered ways to address current inconsistencies and insufficiencies and to enhance adequacy, accuracy, and uniformity in such reports and testimony, as well as in the underlying documentation and processes.

Reporting and Testimony Subcommittee Members

Work Products Archive

Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents
Initial Draft Views on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #7 – August 10-11, 2015)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Report Content
Final Draft Views on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents
Views on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #8- December 7-8, 2015)

Initial Draft Recommendation on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #10 – June 20-21, 2016)
Adjudication Summary for Recommendation on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents
Final Draft Recommendation on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents
Recommendation on Documentation, Case Record and Report Contents (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #11 - September 13, 2016)

Expert Testimony
Initial Draft Policy Recommendation on Expert Testimony (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #4 – October 28-29, 2014)

Discovery
Initial Draft Policy Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery in Forensic Evidence Cases (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #4 – October 28-29, 2014)
Adjudication Summary for Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery of Forensic Materials
Final Draft Views on Pretrial Discovery of Forensic Materials
Views on Pretrial Discovery of Forensic Materials (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #7 - August 10-11, 2015)

Inconsistent Terminology
Initial Draft Views on Inconsistent Terminology Released for Public Comment (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #5 – January 29-30, 2015)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Inconsistent Terminology
Final Draft Views on Inconsistent Terminology
Views on Inconsistent Terminology (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #6 - April 30-May 1, 2015)

Report and Case Record Contents
Initial Draft Views on Report and Case Record Contents (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #10 – June 20-21, 2016)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Report and Case Record Contents
Final Draft Views on Report and Case Record Contents (sent back to subcommittee at NCFS Meeting #12)
Initial Draft Views on Report and Case Record Contents (version 2) (Introduced for an interim public comment period between NCFS Meeting #12 and #13)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Report and Case Record Contents (version 2)
Final Draft Views on Report and Case Record Contents (version 2: this document was NOT adopted by the Commission at Meeting #13)

Reasonable Degree of Scientific Certainty
Initial Draft Recommendation on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” (Introduced January 2016 between NCFS Meeting #8 and #9)
Adjudication Summary for Recommendation on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”
Final Draft Recommendation on Use of the Term Reasonable Scientific Certainty
Recommendation on the Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #9 - March 21-22, 2016)

Initial Draft Views on Testimony Using the Term "Reasonable Scientific Certainty" (Introducted at NCFS Meeting #6 - April 30, 2015)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Testimony Using the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”
Final Draft Views on Testimony Using the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”
Initial Draft Views on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #8 – December 7-8, 2015)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”
Final Draft Views on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”
Views on Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #9 - March 21-22, 2016)

Pretrial Discovery
Initial Draft Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #9 – March 21-22, 2016)
Adjudication Summary for Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery
Final Draft Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery
Recommendation on Pretrial Discovery (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #10 - June 20-21, 2016)

Judicial Vouching
Initial Draft Views on Judicial Vouching (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #9 – March 21-22, 2016)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Judicial Vouching  
Final Draft Views on Judicial Vouching
Views on Judicial Vouching (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #10 - June 20-21, 2016)

Notice and Demand Provisions
Initial Draft Views on Notice and Demand Provisions (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #9 – March 21-22, 2016)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Notice and Demand Provisions
Final Draft Views on Notice and Demand Provisions
Views on Notice and Demand Provisions (Adopted at NCFS Meeting #10 - June 20-21, 2016)

Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony
Initial Draft Views on Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #11 - September 12-13, 2016)
Initial Draft Views on Statisitcal Statements in Forensic Testimony (version 2) (Introduced at NCFS Meeting #12 - January 9-10, 2017)
Initial Draft Views on Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony (version 3) (Introduced for an interim public comment period between NCFS Meeting #12 and #13)
Adjudication Summary for Views on Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony
Final Draft Views on Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony (this document was NOT adopted by the Commission at Meeting #13)