Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309134404 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 270
Book Description
In 1992 the National Research Council issued DNA Technology in Forensic Science, a book that documented the state of the art in this emerging field. Recently, this volume was brought to worldwide attention in the murder trial of celebrity O. J. Simpson. The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence reports on developments in population genetics and statistics since the original volume was published. The committee comments on statements in the original book that proved controversial or that have been misapplied in the courts. This volume offers recommendations for handling DNA samples, performing calculations, and other aspects of using DNA as a forensic toolâ€"modifying some recommendations presented in the 1992 volume. The update addresses two major areas: Determination of DNA profiles. The committee considers how laboratory errors (particularly false matches) can arise, how errors might be reduced, and how to take into account the fact that the error rate can never be reduced to zero. Interpretation of a finding that the DNA profile of a suspect or victim matches the evidence DNA. The committee addresses controversies in population genetics, exploring the problems that arise from the mixture of groups and subgroups in the American population and how this substructure can be accounted for in calculating frequencies. This volume examines statistical issues in interpreting frequencies as probabilities, including adjustments when a suspect is found through a database search. The committee includes a detailed discussion of what its recommendations would mean in the courtroom, with numerous case citations. By resolving several remaining issues in the evaluation of this increasingly important area of forensic evidence, this technical update will be important to forensic scientists and population geneticistsâ€"and helpful to attorneys, judges, and others who need to understand DNA and the law. Anyone working in laboratories and in the courts or anyone studying this issue should own this book.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309045878 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 199
Book Description
Matching DNA samples from crime scenes and suspects is rapidly becoming a key source of evidence for use in our justice system. DNA Technology in Forensic Science offers recommendations for resolving crucial questions that are emerging as DNA typing becomes more widespread. The volume addresses key issues: Quality and reliability in DNA typing, including the introduction of new technologies, problems of standardization, and approaches to certification. DNA typing in the courtroom, including issues of population genetics, levels of understanding among judges and juries, and admissibility. Societal issues, such as privacy of DNA data, storage of samples and data, and the rights of defendants to quality testing technology. Combining this original volume with the new update-The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence-provides the complete, up-to-date picture of this highly important and visible topic. This volume offers important guidance to anyone working with this emerging law enforcement tool: policymakers, specialists in criminal law, forensic scientists, geneticists, researchers, faculty, and students.
Author: J. Thomas McClintock Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 1040084222 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 165
Book Description
In its short but active history, the use of DNA typing has revolutionized criminal investigations. It is almost inconceivable to bring a case to trial without positive identification through what is now our most accurate means. Proficiency with the methodology, principles, and interpretation of DNA evidence is crucial for today‘s criminalist.
Author: Erin E Murphy Publisher: Bold Type Books ISBN: 1568584709 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 399
Book Description
Josiah Sutton was convicted of rape. He was five inches shorter and 65 pounds lighter than the suspect described by the victim, but at trial a lab analyst testified that his DNA was found at the crime scene. His case looked like many others -- arrest, swab, match, conviction. But there was just one problem -- Sutton was innocent. We think of DNA forensics as an infallible science that catches the bad guys and exonerates the innocent. But when the science goes rogue, it can lead to a gross miscarriage of justice. Erin Murphy exposes the dark side of forensic DNA testing: crime labs that receive little oversight and produce inconsistent results; prosecutors who push to test smaller and poorer-quality samples, inviting error and bias; law-enforcement officers who compile massive, unregulated, and racially skewed DNA databases; and industry lobbyists who push policies of "stop and spit." DNA testing is rightly seen as a transformative technological breakthrough, but we should be wary of placing such a powerful weapon in the hands of the same broken criminal justice system that has produced mass incarceration, privileged government interests over personal privacy, and all too often enforced the law in a biased or unjust manner. Inside the Cell exposes the truth about forensic DNA, and shows us what it will take to harness the power of genetic identification in service of accuracy and fairness.
Author: Adrian Linacre Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 1118496523 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 360
Book Description
Clearly structured throughout, the introduction highlights the different types of crime where these techniques are regularly used. This chapter includes a discussion as to who performs forensic wildlife examinations, the standardisation and validation of methods, and the role of the expert witness in this type of alleged crime. This is followed by a detailed section on the science behind DNA typing including the problems in isolating DNA from trace material and subsequent genetic analysis are also covered. The book then undertakes a comprehensive review of species testing using DNA, including a step-by-step guide to sequence comparisons. A comparison of the different markers used in species testing highlights the criteria for a genetic marker. A full set of case histories illustrates the use of the different markers used. The book details the use of genetic markers to link two or more hairs/feather/leaves/needles to the same individual organism and the software used in population assignment. The problems and possibilities in isolating markers, along with the construction of allele databases are discussed in this chapter. The book concludes with evaluation and reporting of genetic evidence in wildlife forensic science illustrated by examples of witness statements.
Author: Libby Copeland Publisher: Abrams ISBN: 1683358937 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 196
Book Description
“A fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing—from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable.” —Tana French, New York Times–bestselling author You swab your cheek or spit in a vial, then send it away to a lab somewhere. Weeks later you get a report that might tell you where your ancestors came from or if you carry certain genetic risks. Or, the report could reveal a long-buried family secret that upends your entire sense of identity. Soon a lark becomes an obsession, a relentless drive to find answers to questions at the core of your being, like “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?” Welcome to the age of home genetic testing. In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications. She explores the culture of genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story. Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is a spectacular book on a big, timely subject. “An urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time.” —Dani Shapiro, New York Times–bestselling author “Before you spit in that vial, read this book.” —The New York Times Book Review “Impeccably researched . . . up-to-the-minute science meets the philosophy of identity in a poignant, engaging debut.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Author: Hirak Ranjan Dash Publisher: Humana ISBN: 9781071602768 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 344
Book Description
The book presents hands-on protocols for conventional and advanced forensic DNA fingerprinting experiments. It includes manual, semi-automatic, and advanced automatic techniques for DNA extraction from different biological samples. It also discusses various qualitative and quantitative approaches for the assessment of extracted forensic DNA. It contains protocols for the amplification of short tandem repeat markers (STRs) for the amplification-based target enrichment of the forensic samples. Further, it examines genotyping of the STR loci through capillary electrophoresis and includes real-world case studies where forensic DNA analysis has been used in the criminal and civil disputes. The book concludes by presenting technological developments in the field of DNA forensic analysis. Suitable for beginners, it is a key reference resource on a wide variety of DNA profiling techniques and applications.
Author: Amanda C Sozer Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 1466513845 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 318
Book Description
Advances in DNA technology have expanded such that forensic DNA profiling is now considered a routine method for identifying victims of mass fatalities. Originating from an initiative funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, DNA Analysis for Missing Person Identification in Mass Fatalities presents a collection of training modules that supply comprehensive instruction in these complex techniques. The book begins with a concise overview of DNA analysis methods and their use in identifying victims of mass fatalities. It then goes on to explore: Mass fatality response operations, including body recovery, mortuary operations, family assistance, the identification of human remains, and psychosocial support for families Best practices in DNA sample collection and the different types of reference samples that can be used to identify a reported missing (RM) individual Autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) DNA profile analysis and interpretation, and procedures to ensure data accuracy Major steps involved in generating a DNA profile and the complex aspects of data analysis and interpretation The importance of data management using information technology tools, and tips for maintaining quality operations Accreditation and standards and the major elements of a DNA quality program Setting up a laboratory operation, including planning, staffing, identifying types of equipment and supplies, and the procedures for ensuring that laboratory equipment performs appropriately The book includes a discussion of the key steps in the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of training sessions for personnel responding to a mass fatality human identification event. It also provides a comprehensive vocabulary list with terms related to mass fatality DNA identification. This text is a must-read for organizations contemplating the use of DNA in human identification initiatives following mass fatalities. It is also a tremendous value to emergency manager/planners, medical legal authorities, and forensic DNA laboratories.
Author: Jo-Anne Bright Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 0429671423 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 132
Book Description
DNA testing and its forensic analysis are recognized as the “gold standard” in forensic identification science methods. However, there is a great need for a hands-on step-by-step guide to teach the forensic DNA community how to interpret DNA mixtures, how to assign a likelihood ratio, and how to use the subsequent likelihood ratio when reporting interpretation conclusions. Forensic DNA Profiling: A Practical Guide to Assigning Likelihood Ratios will provide a roadmap for labs all over the world and the next generation of analysts who need this foundational understanding. The techniques used in forensic DNA analysis are based upon the accepted principles of molecular biology. The interpretation of a good-quality DNA profile generated from a crime scene stain from a single-source donor provides an unambiguous result when using the most modern forensic DNA methods. Unfortunately, many crime scene profiles are not single source. They are described as mixed since they contain DNA from two or more individuals. Interpretation of DNA mixtures represents one of the greatest challenges to the forensic DNA analyst. As such, the book introduces terms used to describe DNA profiles and profile interpretation. Chapters explain DNA extraction methods, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), likelihood ratios (LRs) and their interpretation, and population genetic models—including Mendelian inheritance and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. It is important that analysts understand how LRs are generated in a probabilistic framework, ideally with an appreciation of both semicontinuous and fully continuous probabilistic approaches. KEY FEATURES: • The first book to focus entirely on DNA mixtures and the complexities involved with interpreting the results • Takes a hands-on approach offering theory with worked examples and exercises to be easily understood and implementable by laboratory personnel • New methods, heretofore unpublished previously, provide a means to innovate deconvoluting a mixed DNA profile, assign an LR, and appropriately report the weight of evidence • Includes a chapter on assigning LRs for close relatives (i.e., “It’s not me, it was my brother”), and discusses strategies for the validation of probabilistic genotyping software Forensic DNA Profiling fills the void for labs unfamiliar with LRs, and moving to probabilistic solutions, and for labs already familiar with LRs, but wishing to understand how they are calculated in more detail. The book will be a welcome read for lab professionals and technicians, students, and legal professionals seeking to understand and apply the techniques covered.
Author: Elena Pilli Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 1000064581 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 479
Book Description
Forensic DNA Analysis: Technological Development and Innovative Applications provides a fascinating overview of new and innovative technologies and current applications in forensic genetics. Edited by two forensic experts with many years of forensic crime experience with the Italian police and with prestigious academic universities, the volume takes an interdisciplinary perspective, the volume presents an introduction to genome polymorphisms, discusses, forensic genetic markers, presents a variety of new methods and techniques in forensic genetics, and looks at a selection of new technological innovations and inventions now available from commercial vendors. The book is an important resource for scientists, researchers, and other experts in the field who will find it of interest for its exhaustive discussion of the most important technological innovations in forensic genetics. For those newer to the field, the volume will be an invaluable reference guide to the forensic world.
Author: National Research Council
Author: National Research Council
Author: J. Thomas McClintock
Author: Erin E Murphy
Author: Adrian Linacre
Author: Libby Copeland
Author: Hirak Ranjan Dash
Author: Amanda C Sozer
Author: Jo-Anne Bright
Author: Elena Pilli