¶ … DNA has improved the Forensics Field
As technology and science have progressed, DNA evidence and its use within criminal forensics and trials have become more prevalent. This is not to say that every case hinges on DNA evidence, or that every crime scene can be worked over in order to obtain a criminal's DNA, but the knowledge of this tool within the forensics realm has reshaped the way in which many investigations are conducted. DNA evidence has also acted to shed a new light within the trial realm, as experts in the field offer their opinions as to the efficacy and accuracy of such evidence. It is also being used to shed new light on old cases, helping people get out of jail and clear their names in many cases.
DNA was first used by authorities to help convict a murderer in England in 1984. In the U.S., it was first used in the late 1980's in a Portland, Oregon investigation (Lynch, et. al., 2008). Since these times, DNA evidence and the science and accuracy behind it has evolved into a process that now take a few days instead of weeks or months. Twenty years ago it was not uncommon for forensics labs to require three to five weeks to process DNA evidence, and the types and condition of the evidence often had to be very specific, or it could not be analyzed (Weir,...
CSI Effect in Criminal Forensics It has long been suspected that the scenes, stories and situations people are exposed to through the medium of television can eventually distort their view of reality. Phenomena such as the desensitization to violence exhibited by children who watch hours of cartoon combat daily, or the shifting sense of body image experienced by women who only see slim, attractive models on screen serve to confirm
At the same time, there is a different element introduced in the pursuit of forensic science that is not dealt with in other branches of scientific inquiry. As the question of justice is also central to any forensic proceeding, the suspect's account of events and/or hypothesized explanations for observations must also be taken account (Young 2009). In this way, both verification and falsification can be used during experimentation. Before these
All samples must be properly collected, using gloves and other tools in order to prevent contamination, as well as properly stored until analysis can be performed. It is vitally important that this chain of evidence be maintained so that the evidence collected from using the samples can then be admissible in a court of law. This requires those collecting and storing samples not only to use gloves and tools to
, 2005) In the same way that traditional techniques of criminal identification have enabled law enforcement authorities to establish national fingerprint information databases for the purposes of connecting evidence to possible previous offenders, DNA-based forensic evidence has allowed the creation of similar databases greatly expanding the types of forensic evidence used to increase the security of sensitive facilities and restricted areas. When combined with the ever-increasing power of modern computer technology to
Criminal Justice IT It is becoming very clear how much of an impact the newest technological advances have on the world. For example, consider how quickly the information spread via the social media about Osama bin Laden's death. Technology innovations are also greatly impacting the criminal justice system in the U.S. By providing significant improvements in the way that agencies find, process, share and utilize information. With the present speed of
Forensic analysis has also been used successfully in many paternity cases. Furthermore, the advantages of Forensic DNA technology are extensive and have been employed in forensic fields such as the detection of bacteria and various other pollutants in water and in the matching of recipients in organ donor programs. It should also be noted that forensics is a field that covers many areas and fields of knowledge and which can
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