Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Grits for Breakfast

Criminal Law

: Grits for Breakfast

Autopsy caseloads rise thanks to shortage of forensic pathologists

Here are two new stories in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's series on forensic errors in Texas autopsies:Autopsy caseloads require stopgap measuresPathology shortage poses concern about autopsiesThe issue of a pathologist shortage was raised prominently in Chapter 9 of the National Academy of Science's report from last spring critiquing the non-scientific basis of modern forensics. NAS said the shortage occurred because "The selection pool is local and small (because work is inconvenient and pay is relatively low), and medical training is not always a requirement." Indeed, said the report, "death investigations in the United States rely on a patchwork of coroners and medical examiners and that these vary greatly in the budgets, staff, equipment and training available to them and the quality of services they provide...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on September 30, 2009 (boomark / email).