James E. Starrs, LLM Named Gradwohl Laureate by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) presented James E. Starrs, LLM, distinguished Professor Emeritus of Law and Forensic Science at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with the prestigious Gradwohl Medallion today during the Academy's 64th Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Starrs joins an elite group of only 12 Academy members who have received this honor since its establishment in 1974.  His significant contributions to the field, writings and advocacy for seeking the truth through forensic science has earned Starrs an international reputation. Starrs continues to teach a forensic science course at the George Washington University Law School.

His work in advocating rigorous scientific protocols by using exhumations to seek the truth and has distinctly advanced the field of forensic science. Starrs has authored A Voice for the Dead and co-author of a leading text on scientific evidence: Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases. He has also written and published the Scientific Sleuthing newsletter for 34 years. His writings on forensic science ethics have laid the groundwork for the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Code of Professional Responsibility, soon to be implemented in more than 377 crime laboratories throughout the United States and internationally.

Starrs has resolved decades of dispute over historical events, including determining the true descendants of Jessie James; scientifically proving the folklore of Alfred Packer's cannibalism in Lake City, Colo.; exploring the death of famed American explorer Meriwether Lewis; and questioning the case of the purported "Boston Strangler" Alberto DeSalvo. 

The Gradwohl award is the highest honor the Academy confers and is presented only to members who have attained exceptional distinction in the advancement of forensic sciences and made outstanding contributions to the profession and the Academy.

Additionally, the AAFS board of directors conferred the honor of Distinguished Fellow upon the following members in recognition of their contributions to the Academy and to the forensic sciences profession: James W. Osterburg, MPA and Haskell M. Pitluck, JD.

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is a multi-disciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system.  The objectives of the Academy are to promote education, foster research, improve the practice, and encourage collaboration in the forensic sciences. Organized in 1948, AAFS serves a distinguished and diverse membership of 6,000 forensic science professionals who are the focal point for public information when forensic science issues are addressed in the public domain. AAFS publishes the internationally recognized Journal of Forensic Sciences. For more information, visit www.aafs.org.

SOURCE The American Academy of Forensic Sciences

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