Errors In The FBI Investigation

We believe that full implementation of these recommendations -- although requiring a significant commitment of time, effort, and resources -- will bring the FBI closer to its goal of having one of the finest scientific laboratories in the law enforcement community. Also outlined in this report is a summary of OIG recommendations for the FBI laboratory. This helps outline different changes that should be put into effect as soon as possible to negate any further issues that may arise. While reading this report, different issues begin to stand out. A lack of formal oversite, inadequate handling time of the investigations, improper chain of custody, lying under oath, and even manipulating evidence. These acts could jeopardize evidence at important criminal trials that could lead to evidence being thrown out. The FBI Laboratory has an important national law enforcement function, and it is critical that the Laboratory meet its goal of being foremost in the delivery of forensic examinations and other services to law enforcement through, among other

With the number of DNA exonerations growing in the recent years, wrongful convictions reveal disturbing trends and fissures in the justice system. It shows how broken the system is, and why it needs urgent fixing. According to Huff (1996), over ten thousand people are convicted wrongfully for serious crimes each year. This study established that factors leading to wrongful convictions are false eyewitnesses, a prejudiced jury, incompetent prosecutors, and suspects’ ignorance. Where DNA evidence clears a suspect, array of reasons emerge; misconduct, mistakes, to race and class factors. It is important to make DNA data available to attorneys in order to enable them mount a strong

Every time an innocent person is exonerated based on DNA testing, law enforcement agencies look at what caused the wrongful convictions. There are many issues that contribute to putting guiltless lives behind bars including: eyewitness misidentification, false confessions, imperfect forensic science, and more (Gould and Leo 18). When a witness is taken into a police station to identify a suspect, it is easy for their memories to be blurred and their judgment influenced. This can lead the witness to identify a suspect who is actually innocent. Flawed forensic science practice also contributes to wrongful imprisonments. In the past, analysts have been inaccurate due to carelessness, testified in court presenting evidence that was not based

Throughout the mid to late 1980s Katrina consistently provided valuable information to the FBI, some of her reports were even seen at the White House. Katrina and her family frequently went on FBI sanctioned trips to China and government events in the U.S. to collect information. During this time Katrina started another affair with Special Agent William Cleveland, however Cleveland did not disclose any information to her at any time nor tasked her to gather any information. During the late 1980s Katrina had only one incident where she made an unauthorized contact with the Chinese Consulate via a pay phone. However, the FBI did not do a full investigation, because she was an asset, and Smith did not even document that it even happened in her file. Even with the incident, Katrina passed multiple polygraphs in the late 1980s and was vetted of any wrongdoing. By the end of the 1980s, multiple analysts, a defector, and the CIA gave positive assessments of information Katrina was providing and rated some of it invaluable.

This gives a witness time to forget what the person looked like. This kind of error is responsible for approximately 75% of wrongful conviction cases (Huff, 107). Bad science is another issue that may cause wrongful imprisonment. Analysts have been inaccurate because of carelessness testifying in court presenting evidence that was not based on science and participated in misconduct. The DNA Identification Act of 1991 led the creation of the FBI CODIS DATA BASE which was announced as having been established to the U.S Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2002. Since 1989, there have been tons of thousands of cases where prime suspects were identified and pursued until DNA testing prove that they were wrongly accused. In a National Institute of Justice study, suspects were excluded once DNA testing was conducted following the preliminary hearing. Amending the existing post-conviction DNA testing statue to enable access to deserving defendants and do better utilize DNA database comparisons in order to enable identification of real perpetrators where wrongful conviction is claimed. The Government should create a forensic advisory board to advise the commonwealth on the best delivery of forensic services to state and local government and create a Conviction Integrity Commission to study future exoneration and providing educational programs for the bar, bench, law enforcement and community.

People have been wrongfully accused and convicted of crimes all throughout history. However, wrongful convictions are still a problem in our society and since the start of the Innocence Project in 1992, the issue of wrongful convictions has become a topic that has resurfaced (Misapplication of forensic science, 2017). Thus far, the Innocence Project has been able to exonerate more than 300 people who were wrongfully convicted (Misapplication of forensic science, 2017). In more than 70% of the overturned cases, the individuals were initially arrested due to eyewitness misidentification (Eyewitness misidentification, 2017). Additionally, the misapplication of forensic science is the second most common contributing factor related to wrongful convictions affecting nearly half (46%) of the cases (Misapplication of forensic science, 2017).

    A review of false convictions that involved forensic science and can help identify critical lessons for forensic scientists as they perform testing, interpret results, render conclusions, and testify in court from the national institute of justice.

A forensic practitioner can never be biased in an investigation and to ensure ethical behavior some departments have implemented a code of ethics. Although there is a lot of room for error, no forensic investigator wants to live with the possibility that an innocent person is punished or a guilty person escaped prosecution. For all the negative cases on the news there will be a plethora of cases that did not have any problems. Any time a crime scene investigator enters a crime scene, there is a possibility of contamination. A forensic specialist must present an unbiased testimony that is a clear and accurate representation of a crime scene. The room for error in forensic science is rather spacious, however there inaccuracies in any field of science. These errors along with false portrayal of forensic science in the media and strenuous work hours make the job of a forensic scientist excruciatingly

Forensic science is defined as the practice of utilizing scientific methodologies to clarify judicial inquiries. The field of forensic science contains a broad range of disciplines and has become a vital aspect of criminal investigations. Some forensic disciplines are laboratory-based; while others are based on an analyst’s interpretation of observable patterns (Kourtsounis, 2009). According to the Innocence project’s website; in greater than fifty percent of wrongful convictions, the use of invalidated or improper forensic techniques played a role in cases; which were later

“It is becoming more relevant that prosecutors rely upon the skill or capability of a victim or witness to compellingly perform in front of a jury, regardless of the substantial evidence of the case which includes forensic science analysis.” Research has shown that “82% of Judges are always or very often impressed by the CSI effect, 59% of Juries are always or very often influenced by the CSI effect, and 76% of Defense lawyers always or very often resorted to the CSI effect account to make

Improper forensics, bad lawyering, snitches, unqualified “experts,” eye witness misidentification, false confessions, and mishandled evidence are all just a few reasons for wrongful convictions in the justice system. However, the authors of Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right, discuss how DNA is a main factor into “actually innocent” people. Throughout this book we learn stories about those who were wrongfully convicted and later proven guilty for reasons such as DNA testing. While this proves to us that not everyone convicted is guilty, it points out many other errors in the criminal justice system as well.

George Perrot was convicted in 1992 for the rape of an elderly woman. The rape occurred in 1985 when he was 17 years old and the evidence used in this case focused on a single stand of hair found at the crime scene (Stumpf, 2016). Perrot spent 30 years of his life in jail prior to being released in 2016 because the FBI analysis was based on flawed science , which focused on a single hair that contained the victim’s blood (Pleasance, 2016). During the trial the microscopic analysis of the hair was described by the FBI agent who indicated that the hair came from Perrot and boasted his authority as a trained person in reaching this conclusion(Pleasance, 2016). The prosecutor in the case indicated this strand of hair was evidence, which proved

In the forensic science field, laboratory tests are becoming more criticized in today 's world of technology. Human hair is one of the most common types of evidence found at a crime scene. Following hair analysis, there is also DNA fingerprinting analysis. Many victims of this flaw have been wrongfully sent to serve time for these flaws in testing. There have recently been more strategies to help improve these tests and provide for a better outcome in trial. Labs now have certain guidelines to follow while running tests, and at crime scenes, investigators are taking precautionary measures when collecting evidence to test. The forensic science field is one of the most powerful parts of the criminal justice system. They help separate the

The FBI is one of the most well known names in Law Enforcement not only in the U.S. but also around the world. As the U.S.’s forefront federal Law Enforcement Agency, the FBI today is expansive and diverse in it jurisdiction, its responsibilities, and its personnel. As the principle investigation agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau’s investigative jurisdiction is the most expansive of the 32 federal law enforcement agencies in the country. The Bureau is both an investigative, law enforcement based organization as well as an intelligence agency tasked with American national security. What was once a small task force of agents based in Washington DC investigation has expanded beyond a headquarters in Washington DC to

The history of the use of forensic science in criminal cases in the United States is well over