DNA EXONERATIONS

For the last three decades, DNA evidence has transformed policing. While there are many types of forensic evidence that can help solve a case, DNA is a virtually irrefutable source of proof when it comes to blood, semen, saliva and so on. This evidence has proven guilt and innocence time and time again, and fortunately it has allowed miscarriages of justice to be corrected and overturned.

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical name for the molecule holding hereditary material from humans and all living things. This allows scientists to accurately match the DNA evidence to one particular person, as our DNA material is unique to us. If police can find samples at a crime scene and match these to a suspect, it makes for a fairly open and shut case.

It also means that DNA has been able to retroactively exonerate 375 people in the US alone. Serving an average of 14 years, these falsely imprisoned individuals have spent thousands of days behind bars for a crime they did not commit. 21 of these people even served time on death row. A staggering 69% of these cases involved false eyewitness testimony that led to their incarceration, while almost half involved misapplication of forensic science. It may come as no surprise that of the 375 who have so far been exonerated, 225 or 60% were African Americans.

1989 saw the first case of DNA exoneration. Gary Dotson had served ten years in jail after being falsely accused of rape by 16-year-old Cathleen Crowell. A decade later, the alleged victim confessed to fabricating the attack and a forensic serologist confirmed that her and Dotson had not had intercourse.

Other notable DNA exoneration cases include Horace Roberts. At age 60, Roberts was released from prison in 2018 after more than 20 years in custody. DNA testing of evidence left at the crime scene turned up a profile for an unidentified man who was later named as Joaquin Leal. Steven Avery, the subject of Netflix’s ‘Making A Murderer’ documentary, was also exonerated by DNA testing after spending 18 years in jail.

If you’d like to find out more about DNA evidence or how a computer forensic investigator can help prove your innocence, get in touch with ICFECI today.

Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/dna-exonerations/

OXYGEN FORENSIC DETECTIVE

ICFECI uses a number of programs to solve cases, one of them being Oxygen Forensic Detective. This software is an advanced system that can extract data from multiple sources

• be it cell phones, hard drives or memory cards, Oxygen can retrieve, decode and analyze information at an impressive
• Oxygen offers a number of features that are invaluable for forensic investigators. From discovering data and backing up important evidence to presenting timelines and visualizing key graphs, Oxygen Forensic Detective provides a comprehensive and sophisticated service to solve even the toughest of cases. Features include:
• Bypassing screen locks
• Finding passwords
• Recovering deleted data
• Facial recognition and image categorization
• Social links analysis and timeline view
• User data from apps like Facebook, PayPal, Maps etc
• Back ups and importing from other forensic tools
• CDR analysis
• Locations visualization

One of the fundamental benefits of using Oxygen is the sheer volume of data the program can extract. Gathering evidence has never been easier when the software allows you to retrieve information such as:

• SMS, MMS, iMessages etc
• Emails and attachments
• Photos and videos
• Audio files
• Device logs
• Contacts
• Call logs
• Passwords
• Wi-Fi connections

Once the evidence is uncovered, Oxygen uses intelligent mapping and visualization techniques to show social connections, locations, timelines and more. This gives investigators and clients a clear picture of the case, and allows key information to be presented effectively to authorities, attorneys and juries.

Oxygen Forensic Detective is available on USB dongle for single use, enabling you to connect to one server for 5, 10, 20 or 50 concurrent licenses. This offers an easy, cost effective solution for large organizations which can be scaled according to suite requirements.

To find out more, head to the official website here or get in touch with ICFECI for further information.

Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/oxygen-forensic-detective/

Are you searching the Private Investigator?

An accused is entitled to adequate representation by investigative services and by counsel under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA). ICFECI is at the forefront in providing expert investigative services indispensable for adequate representation of defendants under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3006A, and Adequate Representation of Defendants.

Know more: https://www.icfeci.com/criminal-justice-act-services/

Easy to Find Private Forensic Investigator through ICFECI

Fraud Specialists and computer forensics expert, provides investigate services in white collar crimes and other criminal charges.

Read more: https://www.icfeci.com/

Private Investigator – icfeci

ICFECI’s Dan James who once served as Certified Fraud Examiner and Forensic Examiner for the Office of the Federal Public Defender, Northern District of Texas, actively provides a range of investigative services comprising of litigation support, discovery, acquisition and processing of evidence into a report that is easily understood and admissible as evidence in courts of law.

Read more : https://icfeci.com/

Invisible Wall – Correction – A strong Social Barrier

The topic of a wall is on everyone’s mind right now. Regardless of anything the President and Congress build, make no mistake—we already have a wall. The wall I’m thinking of is a societal wall, and it’s massive yet invisible. This wall is a strong social barrier. It cannot be climbed, penetrated or tunneled under.

I bump up against this wall, too.  As a court-appointed Private investigator for criminal defendants, I see a part of society that most never will. I work for the sick, tired, poor and uneducated. Most of my clients came from unimaginable squalor, and continue to live in poverty and hopelessness that’s hard to grasp.  I see how their children suffer from the sins of their mothers and fathers. Make no mistake. The people I represent are considered a menace to society. They are desperate but gave up have stopped looking for jobs long ago. They hit the invisible wall, time and time again. At some point, their lives took a turn. I ask myself what keeps them there?

Long ago, I came up with a prayer, a mantra of sorts to help me stay focused. “Help me help myself so that I may help others.”

There is loud clamor to the south of our boarders. It extends deep into the lives of the people I’m hired to assist in criminal cases. As I peel back the layers of the lives of my clients, all I see is chaos. Eventually, though, most of the children and adults will be forced into crimes, gangs, prostitution and mental conditions. They have no hope in their native countries! But what about here, in the greatest nation? Should they have hope here?

Migrants, be they immigrants or refugees, want for a better life.  Some say we are a country of immigrants and that we have a special duty to those new residents. Others say no. That’s this bigger invisible wall I’m talking about.

Here is the question I ask often: Do we have an obligation to provide them with a place in America and give them opportunity to participate in the dream?

I figured that they want a better life and deserve a chance. That could, and should happen before they meet me. These are lost and forgotten residents.  Hidden, perhaps, behind the invisible wall.

Why don’t we do something? 

The courts and commissioners know who’s here, yet nothing is done. Their priorities are elsewhere, could be south, or making sanctuary cities helping immigrants.

That leaves us.  We must do, individually, what we can.

As they have for generations, I hope the legal migrants continue coming to American for a better life.  Also, I hope that we can help our forgotten citizens meaningfully participate in our society.

Blog Source : https://icfeci.com/invisible-wall-correction-a-strong-social-barrier/

How can a Computer Forensics Service help find Evidence?

As crime rates increase, it doesn’t only occur in your neighborhood but in the cyber world too. Computer crime has been the ugly side of the Internet revolution and its rise cannot, unfortunately, be seen as a surprise. As digital data gets lost, corrupted, protected and tampered with, it is important to have computer forensics around to work the job and help solve problems. Helping companies to identify computer and mobile phone abuse in the workplace is essential in combating the accessing of inappropriate websites, computer fraud. The industry of computer crime investigation, as a result, has continued to grow, and many clients are turning to investigations specialists to provide expert guidance in identifying whether any misuse has occurred. So the digital forensics provides one of the best routes to investigate digital misconduct.

Computer forensics can also be used to prove innocence as well as convict the guilty. A typical computer forensic investigation can involve recovering data that was thought to be lost from hard drives and networks. Recovering data that has thought to have been deleted, decrypting data using advanced algorithms and building usage profiles can all be used when put together to build a case against someone accused of a digital crime. Computer investigation is a relatively new tool in our arsenal of investigative assets and it’s quickly proving to be an extremely valuable source of information. A computer forensics service is the recovery and analysis of any type of digital storage media searching to find potential legally admissible evidence. The type of evidence relevant to the theft of trade secrets, theft of or destruction of intellectual property, wrongful termination, domestic cases, embezzlement, fraud, and tragic child pornography investigations.

Some of the common forms of data that experts can recover from a laptop or desktop hard drive include the following:

• Various types of files and documents that have been deleted from the hard drive of the computer
• Emails that have been erased from the inbox
• Deleted chat logs that contain instant messages the individual has had on messengers that include MSN, Yahoo, AOL, Skype, and various others
• Graphics or photographs that the computer user has erased

The computer forensics service is one of the most reliable sources of information with advanced technology and tools. These are designed to provide you with detailed reports of all the evidence and facts retrieved and preserve them in an organized manner in order to help you find a successful resolution to the case and make informed decisions based on it. A computer forensic examination consists of the preservation, identification, extraction, and interpretation of documents that have been at one point stored on a computer. By using the proper authority/licensing, fully documenting the chain of custody of evidence, and using tool validation methods to ensure actions have been properly vetted, digital forensics ensures valid results.

At ICFECI, we strive to provide the best and most ethical digital forensic services with the help of experts. We mainly focus on retrieving data, emails, documents, and digitally stored information, and convert them to evidence acceptable in a court of law. We help real people make conscious and sensible decisions by delivering documentation.

ICFECI Computer Forensics Services Are Hard to Beat

Anyone who is involved in a cyber crime as an accused and must stand trial needs an expert in computer forensics to help his case. One of the finest experts in the field is Dan James of ICFECI in Texas.

There are specific laws governing digital evidence and data collection. Agencies involved in computer forensics must follow defined procedures and adhere to custody processes while taking possession of a computer system or mobile device for the purpose of data extraction and analysis. The task needs to be carried out in a controlled environment and in a lab using specialized tools as well as software. ICFECI has the environment and the tools as well as teams of expert working under the guidance of Dan, himself a qualified computer forensics professional and top notch investigator. Capturing data from a single desktop computer, a laptop or mobile device is simple enough but when data is stored across a network or in the cloud or other servers, it needs specialized knowledge and skill to follow leads and gather evidence that could be used in litigation support on behalf of a defendant wrongly accused of a crime. ICFECI experts have the knowledge and skills to collect such electronic evidence while adhering to guidelines so that the data so presented withstands legal scrutiny and is not rejected by the judge.

Forensics is a vast field in which there are experts specializing in, say, DNA analysis or following trace evidence. Dan’s expertise is in following traces of computer data. This is a difficult task when one considers that data may have become fragmented or it may have been deleted or encrypted. Useful data resides in the hard disk or mobile memory along with lots of other data that is not relevant. It is also a legal requirement that the original data should not be altered or change state while it is being extracted because it would then attract a charge of tampering. Dan’s forensic lab has the tools and software that accesses even hidden and floating data in any format. The entire data extracted from storage is sifted, analyzed and then only relevant portions are extracted. The data is converted in to a format that is easily understood by defense attorneys who can then make informed decisions in support of their case. The evidence is also prepared in a way that is acceptable in a court of law.

Extraction of data and preparing it for litigation support is just one task of professionals in computer forensics. Another responsibility is to appear on the witness stand and interpret such data as well as provide expert opinion on the relevance of such data to the case. This is where Dan shines with his skills as computer forensics expert and expert witness for the defense.

The best testimony comes from defense attorneys who unanimously state that without his intervention it is doubtful if their clients would have walked free, absolved of all charges.

Become a Certified Computer Forensic Expert and Get Into a Highly Promising Career

For bright young minds looking for a promising start in life one of the most promising avenues is that of becoming a computer forensics professional. The world has gone digital and this has opened up a whole new world of cyber crime. Prosecution and defense must follow a digital trail rather than a paper trail or hard evidence and a computer forensics specialist is required in majority of cases.

What does one need to get on the high road to a bright career as a computer forensics expert? Anyone with a background in IT will find it better and easier to follow the course that leads to a certification in computer forensics. Right from the start it is important to find a training institute that is staffed by professionals and has a fully equipped computer forensics laboratory. In this respect ICFECI fits the bill admirably. It is the brainchild of Dan James, a computer forensics expert with years of practical experience as well as the necessary background qualification. Importantly, it is his years of hands-on work in assisting law enforcement agencies as well as helping defendants in cases that has helped him design a comprehensive course.

Computer forensics is different from traditional IT in that a professional’s task is critical and the way he does it has a bearing on the case in which he is called to assist. The ICFECI course is methodical, structured and takes a student from the basics to advanced techniques that cover virtually all aspects of the profession. A typical course would include training on basics of cybercrime and introduction to using digital forensic tools. Students learn about collecting and preserving evidence. The technical aspects are covered by tutorials on Windows, Linux, information security and networking. The legal aspects are taken care of by courses on criminal law and justice as well as investigations and constitutional laws.

 

What makes ICFECI so special and why is it worth pursuing a course here?

For one, students receive in-depth training from Dan James, himself a certified and licensed investigator and computer forensics expert. He brings his rich knowledge of law and computer technologies to the classroom. More importantly, students get to work in one of the most advanced computer forensics labs in the State, not only on simulations but also practical observation of real life unraveling of digital data from devices. From day one students live and breathe in an atmosphere where academics mingle with real life work since Dan actively works to assist defendants accused of digital crimes. In a way students learn and complete internship at the same time. By the time the course is over they are ready to move into the professional world straight away. Since ICFECI is one of the best known training institutions as well as a service catering to the needs of attorneys who need assistance with digital forensics, students can hope to get into a paying job straightaway. More than the money, it is knowing that one is helping defendants that gives so much job satisfaction.

Top Computer Forensic Services From Leaders In the Field

ICFECI (Institute of Computer Forensic Examinations and Criminal Investigations) came into being to assist defendants and was set up to serve as a resource to the Criminal Justice Act Panel. ICFECI’s wide ranging activities cover civil and criminal litigation, civil fraud and criminal schemes with an emphasis on computer forensic services.

What sets the organization apart from the rest is that it is a pioneer in the field and has a well equipped lab for computer and cell phone forensic services at ICFECI. The CFE, Mr Dan James, is well recognized in Texas for his groundbreaking services with an arsenal of forensic tools that serve to provide information based on which clients and attorneys can take informed decisions. Computer forensics involves the investigation of computer media, specifically hard disks and storage devices to discover, compile and analyze data that can be used as evidence. ICFECI offers services that have proved useful for defendants in a variety of cases such as:

• Industrial espionage
• Piracy
• Sexual harassment
• Intellectual property, Copyright infringement
• Unauthorized use of confidential data
• Corruption, blackmail, destruction of information, fraud
• Illegal duplication of software, unauthorized use of computer in a company environment, and,
• Pornography

In those cases, an experienced computer forensic examiner with specialized training, certification and the requisite skills along with the use of sophisticated software and hardware can create a certified bit by bit mirror image of the suspect hard drive. The examiner will also make use of hash codes to ensure chain of custody.  ICFECI specializes in difficult computer/cell phone cases. A dedicated computer forensics examiner can help his clients and their attorneys in finding out if the computer data is relevant to the case and in retrieving such data. Apart from finding and analyzing data the examiner must also be conversant with legal matters and should be able to prepare reports and present evidence as well as testimony that stand up in court.

Attorneys have something to work on if there is a paper trail or physical evidence. However, if the main evidence is suspected to be hidden in a computer then it is best that he and his client get in touch with an ICFECI to find data and analyze it in a way that can be used in the ongoing legal matter. ICFECI is the default choice not only because of their expertise in computer forensics but also because ICFECI can provide strategic consultancy, respond to interrogations, submit testimony and reports, which means he must also be an expert witness in addition to being expert in computer forensics examination. Question them and you will find they are knowledgeable about the Federal Rules of evidence, chain of custody and related matters. With knowledge and experience, ICFECI knows how to present the case in writing and also how to explain difficult technical matters in simple terms in a way that is understood by the judge and jury.

Source blog http://icfeci.tumblr.com/post/114035794143/top-computer-forensic-services-from-leaders-in-the