http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/legal_issues/ Legal issues pertaining to science, the environment and health. Read the latest scientific research. en-us Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:05:01 EST Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/legal_issues/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142127.htm Project Safe Neighborhoods -- a community-based policing effort launched in 2001 -- has been largely successful in its goal of reducing violent crime, according to a new analysis. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121720.htm The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. In times of heightened health concerns, everyday behaviors like sneezing can serve as a reminder to wash our hands or take our vitamins. But, what if we overreact to everyday sneezes and coughs and sniffles? Can these signals transform healthy discretion into an unreasonable fearfulness about germs and more? Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029155956.htm DNA samples often convict criminals. But many of today's forensic tests are so polluted by soil, tobacco and food remains, for example, that they can not be used. Now researchers in Sweden have improved a critical part of the analysis process. The first findings indicate that the new method strengthens the DNA analysis so that previously negative samples yield positive and usable DNA profiles. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029155956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028142237.htm People who watch forensic and crime dramas on TV are more likely than nonviewers to have a distorted perception of America's criminal justice system, according to new research. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028142237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161541.htm Legal counsel is a matter of life and death in Houston, but it is not necessarily tied to a defendant's socioeconomic status, according to new research. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105640.htm What does it mean when expert psychiatric witnesses in a court case reach opposing conclusions on the same sets of evidence? A new study suggests via mathematical modeling that both analyses can be completely accurate. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102708.htm Scientists are developing new sensors to detect chemical agents and illegal drugs which will help in the fight against the threat of terrorist attacks. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201352.htm Hikers and backpackers tend to become supporters of environmental and conservation groups while casual woodland tourists do not, a new study says -- and a recent fall-off in strenuous outdoor endeavors portends a coming decline in the ranks of conservation backers. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081351.htm A new study finds that US children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognized, with nearly half experiencing a physical assault in the study year. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095458.htm Software developed by a UK researcher could spell the end for future melody plagiarism. The research focuses on how to predict court decisions on music plagiarism using cognitive similarity algorithms. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101724.htm Researchers in the UK will release new evidence about the dangers of 'Spice' drugs -- herbal mixes widely sold as an ‘incense’ or legal substitute for cannabis. Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123515.htm Against the backdrop of last week's Congressional hearing into the future of forensic science, researchers have published a landmark paper on the controversial topic of bitemark analysis. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123517.htm Parolees with a gambling habit may resort to criminal activities and substance abuse when they are released from prison if there are few community supports to help them re-integrate, a new study has concluded. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914131933.htm Researchers provided a nationally-represented sample of adults with an online survey about the US Supreme Court's ruling on physician-assisted suicide. More religious participants tended to trust the Supreme Court's ability to make the right decision while the group with strong moral convictions felt distrust. And both groups, as it turned out, based their beliefs on a gut reaction rather than on thoughtful, careful deliberation. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914131933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111528.htm The impact of hate crime is deep and widespread, says new research. Important new research by criminologists challenges existing stereotypes about the nature and impact of hate crime offending. While the term ‘hate crime’ conjures up images of violent acts committed by hate-fuelled extremists, the research suggests that many hate crimes are in fact lower-level forms of harassment committed by so-called ‘normal’ people who may not necessarily ‘hate’ their victim. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125122.htm Among likely voters surveyed across the nation, about nine in 10 support the federal government adopting additional food safety measures, and 64 percent believe that imported foods are often or sometimes unsafe, according to a new poll. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103632.htm Urban residents across the United States have dug in to create green spaces in their neighborhoods and the effects are positive -- increase in the number of owner-occupied dwellings, more personal income and rent increases in areas surrounding community gardens. But could the presence of green space contribute to lower crime levels in neighborhoods? Researchers investigated whether community gardens had an impact on reported property crimes in neighborhoods surrounding urban community gardens in Houston. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm Homicide rates are closely linked to the form of political economy that runs a nation, according to a new study. Researchers claim that homicide rates are significantly higher in nations in neo-liberal politics where free market forces are allowed free rein, such as the USA, but are significantly lower in nations governed by social-democratic policies which still characterize most Western European nations. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826215020.htm Finding economical and practical solutions for conserving endangered carnivores is a continuous challenge for conservationists. In a new paper, a team of Brazilian researchers define global conservation priorities that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors for endangered carnivores. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826215020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824141049.htm Apologizing for negative outcomes -- a practice common even with children -- may lead to more favorable verdicts for auditors in court, according to researchers. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824141049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813083333.htm Young people working on conservation projects are often coerced into "grunt" activities like digging holes or picking up litter and gain little from environmental volunteering, according to research at the University of Exeter. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813083333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090814192853.htm Laws aimed at tackling illegal use of wireless internet connections are restricting attempts to increase broadband access, according to new research. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090814192853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025245.htm U.S. prisons are too punitive, and often fail to rehabilitate, but targeting prisoners' behavior, reducing prison populations and offering job skills could reduce prisoner aggression and prevent recidivism, says one leading researcher. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185722.htm If the federal government implements a 2007 legal interpretation of the Endangered Species Act, the likely result will be a reduction in the number of species listed for protection, scientists say. Researchers analyzed potential effects of a legal memorandum issued in March 2007 by the Department of the Interior, which, among other points, advised the US Fish and Wildlife Service that only an endangered species' current range need factor into whether the species is listed for protection. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074158.htm Guns smuggled from the US arm criminals in Canada and Mexico, contributing to a higher murder rate in Canada and more intense drug crime conflict near the Mexican border, according to a study. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074156.htm The assumption that gangs are at the root of gun crime in the UK is overstated, according to a new study. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm Comprehensive regulation of gun sellers appears to reduce the trafficking of guns to criminals, according to a new study. The study is the first to incorporate measures of the enforcement of gun sale laws into a study of the effectiveness of those laws. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065500.htm An efficient new approach to archiving scanned documents that makes the text searchable and adds a watermark to images for copy protection and validation has been developed. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do -- a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615112219.htm Could an entirely new approach to online security, based on distributed sanctions, help prevent cybercrime, fraud and identity theft? A report in the International Journal of Intercultural Information Management suggests it could. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615112219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617080412.htm The current legal system relies on the moral compass of each individual jury to decide the outcome of a trial. This method could be viewed more as a lottery than an infallible system of justice. To investigate this claim, top criminal lawyers have created the Honesty Lab -- an online study devised to try and establish if the standard test for dishonesty used to convict criminals in England and Wales, based on the attitudes of each individual jury, is in fact flawed. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617080412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609122230.htm Relocation substantially lowers the likelihood of re-incarceration for parolees, according to new research. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609122230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609103530.htm Addiction scientists are calling for tighter regulation of alcohol advertising, as new research shows that self-regulation by the alcohol industry does not protect impressionable children and youth from exposure. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609103530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091924.htm A program aimed at reducing criminal behavior in juvenile justice teens has yielded a surprising side benefit. The program is also reducing the teens' rate of pregnancy, according to a new study. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602092259.htm New "brain-based" technologies have been hailed as "the next, best thing for lie detection in America, particularly in the context of post-9/11 anxiety," according to experts. However, some are not convinced the new technologies are superior to traditional methods, such as polygraphy. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602092259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601092145.htm New research shows that gay and lesbian couples are forming long-term, committed relationships, even in the absence of the right to marry. However, couples surveyed for the study overwhelmingly said they would get married if they could in order to secure legal rights -- such as retirement and health care benefits. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601092145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527210722.htm Elderly people who live below the poverty line and perceive their neighborhoods to be dangerous are more likely to have a mobility disability. Researchers suggest that even perceiving one's neighborhood as unsafe can "get into the body" and, ultimately, prove hazardous for elder health. Fri, 29 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527210722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203739.htm People who commit filicide, the killing of their own child, are no more psychotically disordered than other homicide offenders. New research shows that that prevention of filicide cannot remain the task of psychiatry alone, but health care and society at large must work to prevent the danger. Thu, 28 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527151138.htm Researchers have created a model for providing empirical evidence on when an ex-convict has been "clean" long enough to be considered "redeemed" for employment purposes. Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527151138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514153043.htm Genes trump environment as the primary reason that some adolescents are more likely than others to be victimized by crime, according to a criminologist. Wed, 20 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514153043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518111726.htm Can prison sentences deter potential criminals? A new study suggests that in certain circumstances, they can. Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518111726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518173324.htm Some federal judges are tossing out civil cases based on their own opinions, a disturbing trend that makes background checks even more important in the search for a new associate justice for the US Supreme Court, a U.S. legal expert says. Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518173324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517152601.htm Local and regional government websites represent a significant privacy concern for the electorate, according to a new article. However, research suggests that a standard privacy policy could address concerns over fair use of information. Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517152601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507055702.htm China has made significant progress in cybercrime legislation but faces increasing challenges to keep pace with the country's exponential growth in internet use, according to a new report. Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507055702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507141400.htm Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise -- and infants are the most common victims -- according to a new study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime. Fri, 08 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507141400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507190602.htm Punitive policies intended to reduce drug use by making life difficult for convicted users are counterproductive and actually lead to a vicious spiral of drug use and re-incarceration. New research reveals how legal punishment, withdrawal of services and social stigmatization encourage a return to drug use, increased criminal activity and ultimately re-incarceration. Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507190602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430122048.htm The creators of the EFIT-V forensic facial composite software describe how it works and recent successes with police services in the UK. Fri, 01 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430122048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429132258.htm The current policy and legal framework regulating use of cyberattack by the United States is ill-formed, undeveloped, and highly uncertain, says a new report. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429132258.htm