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One Deadly Punch Leads To Prison

Our faithful readers may remember that I wrote a newsletter back in 2011 called “Can One Punch Kill” but it has been many years since then and I asked one of my nurses to write up a newsletter. Ironically, she dug through some of my ideas and came across the same article. Her take on Read More...

Fentanyl: An involuntary intoxication defense?

A strange occurrence at a Massachusetts hospital Articles by Forensic Magazine and New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Between 2012 to 2016, fourteen patients showed up at a Massachusetts hospital with a strange problem.  All 14 patients had developed amnesia and cognitive problems with orientation and attention.  In addition, they all had a strange lack Read More...

Visualization of Old Bruises in Children

Ultraviolet Radiation and Forensics In forensics, ultraviolet radiation is used to enhance injuries of the skin. It has been reported that ultraviolet radiation can help visualize an old bruise and can also estimate the shape of the object that caused the bruise. For example, where bruising was faint, old and difficult to recognize, ultraviolet radiation Read More...

Aging a bruise on Autopsy

Those of you who follow me know I have several posts about how you can’t date bruises by color, but there is emerging literature to show that bruises can be dated on tissue analysis: How can a bruise’s age be determined if not by color? Once the bruise is formed, the body reacts by activating Read More...

Are alcoholics really at fault for their crimes?

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is Wernicke encephalopathy. What is encephalopathy? Encephalopathy is a general term describing any disease of the brain that alters the function or structure of the brain. There are many types of encephalopathy and causes.  The Read More...

Infection, Delirium, and Homicide

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is infection. Infection and our body Our bodies are constantly fighting infections. Our skin is the first barrier, but we are often exposed to pathogens through open wounds, our respiratory system, or our mouths. Most Read More...

Shock in Criminal Cases

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is hypoperfusion. When the blood flow is cut off to the vital organs, the body will compensate in an effort to restore the blood flow. The body’s reaction to hypoperfusion is known as shock: What Read More...

Hypertension in Criminal Cases

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One of those etiologies is a condition called hypertensive crisis, or more specifically, hypertensive encephalopathy. If you have a patient that is treated for hypertension in the course of their arrest, you may need a medical expert to Read More...

5 Things Criminal Authorities Should Know About… Psychosis

This month we have a guest author. Thank you to Eleanor Ruth for providing this newsletter/blog post for us!  Psychosis is a condition that distorts attunement with reality. Throughout the years, there have been many criminal cases involving this rather complex illness. Due to its nature as a mental condition, it can be difficult to Read More...

What a criminal attorney needs to know about brain injuries.

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One of those underlying causes is brain injuries, or intracranial processes such as stroke, tumor or traumatic injury. Symptoms of certain intracranial processes are not always immediately apparent or obvious to the person being affected or even their Read More...