#88: Preventing Catastrophic Misconduct in Accredited Forensic Science Laboratories (Part 2 of 2)
Release Date: 04/07/2025
#110: Three Common Leadership Habits That Will Destroy Your Credibility
Crime and the Courtroom
John Collins delivers a direct, practical coaching session for leaders in high-responsibility professions. Drawing on years of experience coaching executives, forensic professionals, and public-sector leaders, Collins identifies three common leadership habits that undermine credibility, erode trust, and diminish team performance. Without realizing it, many capable leaders fall into patterns that create unnecessary friction and limit their effectiveness. This episode offers a valuable opportunity for managers, supervisors, and aspiring leaders to reflect on how they lead—and how to avoid...
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#109: The Daubert Contagion, Valid Comparisons, and the ‘Junk Science’ Narrative
Crime and the Courtroom
In this episode of Crime and the Courtroom, John Collins shares the experience of writing his new book, Valid Comparisons, and some of the unexpected impressions that his research had on him. As he explains, among the most impactful revelations was the disinterest of the National Academy of Sciences committee that produced the 2009 report, “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States - A Path Forward.” The impact of this report, however, was amplified by the 1993 Daubert ruling and the 2007 report by the Innocence Project summarizing the first 200 DNA exonerations. John explains...
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#108: DNA Roundtable with the Forensic Leadership Alliance (FLA)
Crime and the Courtroom
In this episode of Crime and the Courtroom, John Collins chats with his colleagues Pam Marshall, Julie Sikorsky, and Ray Wickenheiser - all members of the ISHI Forensic Leadership Alliance - to review the 2025 International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI), important trends emerging in forensic DNA, Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG), and the potential use of FIGG and other DNA techniques to solve the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Pam Marshall is the Director of the Forensic Science and Law Masters program at Duquesne University; Julie Sikorsky is the Forensic Biology...
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#107: The Drop in Violent Crime and the Crimes that are Replacing It
Crime and the Courtroom
Violent crime in the United States continues to decline — including measurable drops in several major categories in 2024. But what is driving the trend? In this episode of Crime and the Courtroom, host John Collins examines the latest national data and explores a series of under-discussed possibilities that may be shaping public safety in ways most people haven’t considered. At the same time, Collins raises an unsettling question: as one form of crime declines, is another quietly expanding? Drawing on federal data and professional insight, this episode offers a disciplined and...
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#106: High-Profile, High Pressure: The Nancy Guthrie Investigation
Crime and the Courtroom
In this episode of Crime and the Courtroom, John Collins examines the ongoing abduction investigation of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie. Rather than rehashing timelines already covered extensively in national media, John focuses on what the case reveals about high-profile investigations — the resources they mobilize, the pressure they generate, and the complex realities that shape their trajectory. The episode explores the scale of the law enforcement response, including federal involvement and advanced forensic tools, while thoughtfully addressing the...
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#105: Vegas Concierge: Sex Trafficking, Hip Hop, and Corruption in America - with Brian Joseph
Crime and the Courtroom
Host John Collins sits down with award-winning investigative journalist Brian Joseph to discuss his provocative new book, Vegas Concierge: Sex Trafficking, Hip Hop, and Corruption in America. The conversation explores the complex realities of sex trafficking through the lens of Brian’s reporting and his in-depth investigation into the story of hip-hop music producer Molly Maul. Brian shares insights from his career as a freelance reporter and the challenges he faced bringing this book to market, including the publishing industry’s reluctance to engage with difficult—but...
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#104: What is “Junk Science” and do Bite Marks Fit the Label?
Crime and the Courtroom
In this solo episode of Crime and the Courtroom, host John Collins kicks off the podcast’s sixth season with personal updates, professional milestones, and critical reflections on the state of forensic science in the justice system. Collins shares the remarkable success of his recent cochlear implant surgery, which restored significant hearing from deafness caused by a decades-old firearm accident. The procedure has enhanced his ability to engage with clients and audiences, just in time for a busy season of national speaking engagements—including the ASCLD Symposium in Grand Rapids and a...
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#103: Are we standardizing the soul out of forensic science?
Crime and the Courtroom
In this final episode of the 2025 season of Crime and the Courtroom, host John Collins takes a candid and uncompromising look at a growing challenge within the forensic science community: the accelerating push toward standardization. While standards have long played a vital role in improving consistency and strengthening laboratory management, Collins argues that the pendulum may now be swinging too far. Drawing on decades of experience as a forensic scientist, laboratory director, and professional coach, he examines how overly rigid standardization can unintentionally suppress creativity,...
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#102: An Accident in the Forensic Lab and Lessons Learned
Crime and the Courtroom
In this episode, John tells the full story about his battle with hearing loss, how it started, and what steps are now being taken to give him back his hearing. It is a story involving a serious accident in a forensic laboratory many years ago - sometime around 1995 - and one that provides some important lessons about safety, leadership, and personal accountability in the workplace. Season: 5 Episode: 102 Duration: 47:29 YOUTUBE CHANNELS FROM OUR SPONSOR REFERENCED RESOURCES None ABOUT YOUR HOST John Morrey Collins is a leadership and expertise coach specializing in...
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#101: Command Coaching at the Point of Promotion
Crime and the Courtroom
As we near the end of our 5th season, John Collins first takes a moment to discuss his upcoming surgery and his battle with hearing loss following an accident that occurred in a laboratory where he worked while he was in his early 20s. He then discusses “command coaching,” which is an application of coaching at the initial points of promotion for sworn law enforcement commanders, and how the development of police leaders MUST prioritize high-resolution self-awareness as a key factor in future success. In order to earn the trust and respect of team members, sworn commanders must know who...
info_outlineIn this episode, John Collins builds on the themes and recommendations covered in episode 87, with regards to forensic laboratory accreditation and its strengths and limitations. Seven policy priorities are discussed to help forensic science laboratories, their parent agencies, and their jurisdictions prevent instances of catastrophic misconduct before they happen.
Season: 5
Episode: 88
Duration: 1:00:18
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Main Podcast Channel
Highlights Channel
FROM OUR SPONSOR
Learn About the Innovators at Promega
International Symposium on Human Identification
REFERENCED RESOURCES
Article: A Reality Check on Crime Lab Backlogs
ABOUT YOUR HOST
John Morrey Collins is a leadership and expertise coach specializing in working with clients in authoritative, high-stakes occupations, but with a primary emphasis on serving leaders, professionals, and organizations that support our complicated systems of criminal and civil justice. John started his private practice, Critical Victories, in 2013 after retiring his award-winning, 20-year career as a forensic laboratory scientist and executive administrator, having served as the Director of Forensic Science for the State of Michigan. His forensic technical expertise was in the examination and testing of firearms and firearm-related evidence, having provided expert courtroom testimony in approximately 130 criminal trials, including death penalty cases and Daubert hearings. John is also the author of three books on forensic science and criminal justice reform. In 2022, he released his fourth book, “The New Superior – A Better Way to Be the One in Charge,” which is available in print and audio. John’s many career highlights include his part in the forensic investigation of the Atlanta serial bombings, which included the bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, as well as his 2013 participation in a historic meeting with the US Attorney General and other firearm experts to discuss the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. John has a master’s degree in organizational management and is formally certified as a Senior HR Professional by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In 2012, John was trained as a professional coach by the College of Executive Coaching, and he became certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach in 2022. He lives and works near Detroit, Michigan.
For more books and other information, please visit www.criticalvictories.com.