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Crime and the CourtroomAuthor: John M. Collins
Crime and the Courtroom is a unique and stimulating examination of the American criminal justice system for the authorities and supporting professionals who make criminal justice possible. We turn an observant eye toward the system's evolving capacity to strike the delicate balance between preserving the quality of life of our citizens and protecting the rights of the accused. Hosted by one of the most respected and influential forensic experts in the United States, John M. Collins and his guests share real-world experiences and insights about the evidence, techniques, and decision-making used in the investigation, adjudication, and prevention of crime. In each episode, we look for opportunities to dive deep into the lessons of current and past cases to ensure that our organizational, legal, and public priorities are smart and well-intentioned. In this effort, we challenge our public safety leaders and experts to think creatively and proactively about how crime can be prevented before it happens. Every victim is one victim too many. Subscribe to Crime and the Courtroom for inside, cutting-edge analysis of news, stories, insights, and strategies related to our ongoing public struggle to achieve safety and security in every home, neighborhood, community, and place of work. About John M. Collins John M. Collins is a leadership and expertise coach specializing in working with clients in authoritative, high-stakes occupations, but with a primary emphasis on serving leaders, professionals, and organizations that support our complicated systems of criminal and civil justice. John started his private practice, Critical Victories, in 2013 after retiring his award-winning, 20-year career as a forensic laboratory scientist and executive administrator, having served as the Director of Forensic Science for the State of Michigan. His forensic technical expertise was in the examination and testing of firearms and firearm-related evidence, having provided expert courtroom testimony Language: en Genres: Society & Culture, True Crime Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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#103: Are we standardizing the soul out of forensic science?
Episode 103
Monday, 17 November, 2025
In this final episode of the 2025 season of Crime and the Courtroom, host John Collins takes a candid and uncompromising look at a growing challenge within the forensic science community: the accelerating push toward standardization. While standards have long played a vital role in improving consistency and strengthening laboratory management, Collins argues that the pendulum may now be swinging too far. Drawing on decades of experience as a forensic scientist, laboratory director, and professional coach, he examines how overly rigid standardization can unintentionally suppress creativity, erode professional judgment, and undermine the very expertise that forensic science depends on. Through comparisons to medicine, education, and the history of European integration, Collins explores how well-intentioned standardization efforts in many fields have produced unexpected and sometimes damaging consequences. He also confronts persistent misconceptions about wrongful convictions and challenges the narrative that forensic science is a leading cause of injustice. This episode is both a warning and a call to action: a reminder that while quality systems and accreditation are essential, the soul of forensic science lies in the experts who think, notice, decide, and deliver answers when lives are broken by crime. Whether you are a scientist, attorney, policymaker, or simply someone who cares about justice, this season finale invites you into an honest, overdue conversation about the future of a profession that touches every corner of the criminal justice system. Season: 5 Episode: 103 Duration: 50:54 YOUTUBE CHANNELS Main Podcast Channel Highlights Channel FROM OUR SPONSOR Learn About the Innovators at Promega International Symposium on Human Identification REFERENCED RESOURCES Growth of the European Union Innocence Project Report on First 200 Exonerations The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science - By Collins and Jarvis ABOUT YOUR HOST John Morrey Collins is a leadership and expertise coach specializing in working with clients in authoritative, high-stakes occupations, but with a primary emphasis on serving leaders, professionals, and organizations that support our complicated systems of criminal and civil justice. John started his private practice, Critical Victories, in 2013 after retiring his award-winning, 20-year career as a forensic laboratory scientist and executive administrator, having served as the Director of Forensic Science for the State of Michigan. His forensic technical expertise was in the examination and testing of firearms and firearm-related evidence, having provided expert courtroom testimony in approximately 130 criminal trials, including death penalty cases and Daubert hearings. John is also the author of three books on forensic science and criminal justice reform. In 2022, he released his fourth book, "The New Superior – A Better Way to Be the One in Charge," which is available in print and audio. John's many career highlights include his part in the forensic investigation of the Atlanta serial bombings, which included the bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, as well as his 2013 participation in a historic meeting with the US Attorney General and other firearm experts to discuss the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. John has a master's degree in organizational management and is formally certified as a Senior HR Professional by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In 2012, John was trained as a professional coach by the College of Executive Coaching, and he became certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach in 2022. He lives and works near Detroit, Michigan. For more books and other information, please visit www.criticalvictories.com.
