Since Crawford v. Washington, the Confrontation Clause has protected criminal defendants from testimonial hearsay statements. Less clear is what “testimonial” means. Lower courts have split on the question of whether scientific evidence is testimonial, struggling to apply Supreme Court cases decided in very different contexts to the generation of laboratory and autopsy reports. This Note makes four contributions. First, it shows that many courts that prevent defendants from cross-examining the forensic scientists who function as powerful witnesses against them are in fact still applying a now-defunct Ohio v. Roberts test. Second, it examines the new (but increasingly popular) “machine-generated statement” test, arguing that such a test is inconsistent with faithful application of Crawford. Third, the Note concludes that, where law enforcement officers request a forensic laboratory analysis of what seems to be evidence, that analysis will always be testimonial. Fourth, the Note explains why an autopsy report might pose different problems under a Crawford analysis, and concludes that autopsy reports must be considered on a case-by-case basis according to the principles explored in the Note.
News & Events
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Volume 97 Lead Piece Profiled in New York Times
The Volume 97 Lead Piece, a study of how the Supreme Court treats business interests by distinguished legal scholars Lee Epstein, William M. Landes, and Richard A. Posner, was profiled in the May 5, 2013 edition of the New York Times. The story, titled Corporations Find a Friend in the Supreme Court, [...]
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Volume 98 Spring Submissions Closed
The Minnesota Law Review has closed the spring submissions period for Volume 98. Submissions for Volume 98 will reopen on Thursday, August 1. Please see the submissions page for more details.
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Volume 98 Submissions Will Open Feb. 15
The Minnesota Law Review will begin accepting submissions for Volume 98 on Friday, February 15, 2013. Please see this page for more details.
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Minnesota Law Review Announces Volume 98 Editorial Board
The Minnesota Law Review is pleased to announce its Volume 98 editorial board, headed by Editor in Chief Jake Vandelist.
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Minnesota Law Review Announces 2013 Symposium Topic
The Minnesota Law Review is pleased to announce that its 2013 symposium will address the legal and political issues facing organized labor in the United States. The symposium will be held at the University of Minnesota Law School on October 25, 2013.
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