The National Judicial College (NJC) and the Justice Speakers Institute, LLC (JSI) are pleased to announce the release of a new online publication, Science Bench Book for Judges, funded by the State Justice Institute (SJI).

Judges don’t need to become scientists to make appropriate evidentiary decisions about scientific evidence.  However, judges do need to have a comprehensive understanding of their role in admitting scientific evidence.  Everything a judge needs to know in deciding the admissibility of scientific evidence is contained in this new online publication.

Available exclusively and at no charge as a digital download, the bench book includes sections on:

• The Judicial Gatekeeper Function
  by Hon. Samuel A. Thumma, Chief Judge, Division One, Court of Appeals, AZ
• Cyber and Digital Evidence
  by Hon. Bridget Mary McCormack, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Michigan
• DNA Evidence
  by Hon. Ming Chin, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California
• The Use of Science in Juvenile Court
  by Hon. Cindy Lederman (Ret.) Judge, Dependency Court Dade County, FL
• Plus dozens more topicsto help judges anticipate and prepare to rule on admission of new areas of scientific evidence.

The bench book also provides sample orders for criminal discovery and a state-by-state Frye/Daubert analysis.  Download the entire Bench Book, or just the sections that you need.