Name
The Junk Science of 911 Call Analysis
Description

In recent years, law enforcement agencies around the U.S. have embraced scientifically baseless methods for analyzing 911 calls to discern speech patterns that purportedly point toward the guilt of the person calling to report the crime. But recent social science research shows that these methods cannot reliably predict a caller's guilt. Brett Murphy's award-winning reporting for ProPublica, based on discussions with actors on all sides of the justice system, has been instrumental in shining light on these methods and how this new junk science managed to gain traction in police departments. Dr. Jessica Salerno of Arizona State University is one of a group of social science researchers who have demonstrated that these methods do not withstand scientific scrutiny. Andrew Markquart, Managing Attorney of Great North Innocence Project, will moderate a discussion with Murphy and Salerno concerning the flaws with 911 call analysis and how these methods are resulting in wrongful convictions.