Forensic Fraud

Forensic Fraud

Introduction

The paper aims to emphasize on the DNA Forensics in the investigation of the crimes. The modern technology and judicial system have enabled to track out the guilt or innocence in an effective way. DNA is a key source that can lead a criminal to the death chamber or exonerate an innocent man. Though, this growing dependence on science may not always formulate the right decisions. The video provided examines several cases of crime lab fraud in Chicago, where various forensic scientists have tainted proof in reports as well as on the witness stand. Moreover; in few of the cases, the, police or the defendants themselves tainted the evidences of the in order to change the results (Saferstein, 2009). The study area of DNA that involves crime or the need to identify the criminal or relate it to the crime scene is called Forensic DNA. It differentiates situations of identification not criminal as paternity cases, and even the identification of people who were dead and could not be identified by conventional methods.

There are several examples which have revealed the evidences of the forensic fraud. The most historical and controversial example of forensic fraud is the death and incident of Lady Diana, which is still an unsolved mystery. Now, the latest lab technology has made the law and order institutions to solve the mysteries. Genetic typing of DNA is the most important tool produced by modern science and placed at the disposal of justice to combat crime and impunity. DNA has been used to solve various types of crimes using biological samples such as blood, semen, hair, saliva and urine, collected in various types of substrates, such as clothes, bottles, cutlery, cigarette butts, stamps and condoms. In addition to incriminate, DNA has been used to exonerate people falsely accused of crimes, including correcting mistakes made by the judicial system (Saks & Koehler, 2005).

Background

DNA forensic science used in criminal cases to match the DNA of individual body cells left at the scene of the crime, such as skin cells, hair, semen and blood. The FBI often uses STR analysis for these cases. With this analysis, the chemical DNA samples from different areas in the scene of the crime. These samples are compared with the DNA profiles of individuals stored in a database called CODIS extensive to identify suspects (Wheate, 2007). For the study of DNA in forensic cases succeed, it is essential that the biological samples at the crime scene are correctly identified, collected, packaged and sent to the laboratory for study. The collection of biological samples at the crime scene is specific assignment of the coroner, and the most important step to success in identification studies.

The DNA identification has emerged because of the sudden death of a 15 year old girl in 1983 in United States. The death was officially classified as a death by asphyxiation caused by strangulation. However, the killer had left his genetic map in the seminal stains found on the clothes and the body ...