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DNA Testing in Criminal Prosecutions
O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder despite DNA evidence that identified him at the scene of the crime. Because of this, the public found questionable the jury’s verdict. However, just because a suspect’s DNA was found at the crime scene does not mean that the suspect committed the crime. DNA can also be illegally collected, such as when police enter a suspect’s house and steal her toothbrush.
Since the 1980’s, FBI scientists have been at the forefront of DNA forensic use for use in criminal prosecutions. For purposes of identifying convicted criminals, the FBI set up a national DNA system, the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National DNA Index (NDIS), containing over 6,031,000 offender profiles.
The long DNA lattice has 13 short loci, or sections, unique to each individual. People may match some of the loci, but matching all 13 loci is extremely rare, or once thought impossible. However, recent research of criminal convictions in the FBI database shows more matching of DNA than once expected. DNA can also decompose, so that even finding the loci may prove difficult.
After its introduction in the latter part of the 1980s, DNA test results slowly gained acceptance for use in criminal prosecutions. Expert witnesses have repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of DNA test results, so that they now are widely used and accepted in criminal courts. At least, no one argues that DNA testing is less accurate than traditional forensic science such as the matching of blood type, hair, semen, and bite-marks.
In criminal cases, evidence must overcome the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard, which may range (courts decline to give a number) from 90-99% certainty in the mind of a juror that the defendant is guilty. Prosecutors have called DNA testing certain in all but 1 out of 100 billion cases. At any rate, DNA testing exceeds the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard, and is thus appropriate for use in criminal prosecutions.
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