In 2009 the National Academy of Sciences issued a publication outlining current issues in forensic science as well as key recommendations to fix relevant problems in fields ranging from comparative forensics to the death investigation system itself. These relevant problems stem partially from a lack of a unification amongst nationwide standards and practices. A lack of resources, funding, and qualified personnel has halted any real change in death investigation.1 Rather than allow the disparate, varied, and sometimes less qualified role of the Coroner to persist in tandem with a Medical Examiner System, it is recommended that the United States suspend the Coroner System in its entirety to allow for a nationwide Medical Examiner System as the new sole standard in death investigation. This transition is both necessary and feasible. Presently, there are a number of challenges facing the proposed unification of the medicolegal death investigation field to include funding; addressing medical school needs; facilities in both rural and populated communities; and overarching legislative issues connected to such a large endeavor. This recommendation proposes solutions to establish a unified Medical Examiner System. This proposal is based on the state of New Mexico's death investigation system and thus can integrate forensic pathology into the medical education while utilizing the knowledge of practicing forensic pathologists where Medical Examiner Systems can fuse with medical schools. Milestones will be achieved in stages over a 15 year time frame as the United States makes the transition to a unified centralized Medical Examiner System.

The effects that forensic-themed programs such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has on the public's understanding and expectations of the criminal justice system has been a main focus of study in recent years. This phenomenon was coined by the media and termed the "CSI Effect." This study aimed to research the correlations between age, gender, and program-watching habits on potential juries' evidence expectations in court. To do so, 70 people were surveyed and asked a series of demographic questions, as well as questions about how often they watch forensic-themed shows and their experience with the criminal justice system. They were given a mock crime scene scenario and asked about their scientific and non-scientific evidence expectations in this particular case. The most notable results showed that a longer exposure time to forensic-themed programs correlated to high evidence expectations. However, how often viewers watch forensic-themed programs did not seem to affect their evidence expectations. It was concluded that the higher evidence expectations by modern jurors may be due to a combination of the "CSI Effect" and the newly hypothesized "Tech Effect," instead of just being the consequence of the watching too much forensic-themed television.

Child abuse is a hard topic to talk about, and even harder to diagnose without proper training. Though there is a list of general characteristics that child abuse victim's exhibit, it could be difficult to diagnose because everyone reacts to maltreatment differently. Teachers are required by law to report any case where they believe a child is in an abusive environment. Unfortunately, teachers are given the tools to report the abuse, but they lack the knowledge of what to look for. The results are two fold; one is there is an overflow of false reporting, and two, the children who do not having obvious symptoms go unnoticed. This project aims to bridge the gap between these two extremes. It will lower the frequency of false reporting while increasing the chance that a child in need will be helped. The best way to achieve this is through education. The purpose of the study is to create an informational manual for teachers at the kindergarten and elementary level on how to identify child abuse and neglect victims. It will outline the behavioral and physical symptoms of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. It will also highlight the importance of realizing that not all maltreatment victims react the same to abuse. It will then follow into advice on how to approach the situation and what questions to ask. The primary form of research was primary observation by volunteering at the Mesa Child Crisis Center (with IRB approval). Interviews were conducted with Child Crisis Center workers, child behavioral psychologists, and Special Victims Unit detectives. The goal of this research is to help teachers better identify children that are at risk of abuse
eglect, and to understand the theory behind their behavior. In the end, teachers will be more informed on the topic so they can better help their students and create a safe environment for them, and be more confident in reporting.