Marilyn's Musings

With the exception of some of the jobs I had as a kid and teenager, I can honestly say I loved every job I had. For many years I worked as a telephone operator, both information and long distance, at a small telephone company. During that time, I had three kids and was always able to return to the job when I wanted. For ten years I worked at a pre-school for children with disabilities. I loved every minute I was with the kids. I worked in the fine motor room and the gross motor room. We had a physical therapist and an occupational therapist who consulted with us and helped plan our daily programs. I fell in love with the children. From there I went to teaching at various pre-schools and then a daycare in the low-income area. Again, it was a great job. And from there another daycare in a nearby city. My last year in Oxnard, I went back to the low-income area and taught in a pre-school where most of the children didn't speak English. My kids all learned to speak English. We...

As a forensic nurse, I often work with attorneys as an expert witness. I instruct the jury to listen to what the evidence tells you not what the people involved say.  Everything must be accurate, and the smallest of details matter in solving a crime or proving a case. One of the problems we often have is that because of the fictional depiction of investigations where DNA is always present and can be processed in 45 minutes juries now expect DNA to be presented. Not only is that difficult at times but if not processed properly and kept from contamination it can be useless and confuse the issue.  This issue called “the CSI effect” can destroy a case and cause the jury to vote innocent when they believe DNA should have proved the case.  An argument I had a few years ago with my friend who wrote the movie Déjà vu.  He had the detective put the evidence in plastic bags but as I pointed out plastic bags usually deteriorate evidence. In forensic investigation...