Why Do People Use DNA Testing?

DNA testing was first used in criminal prosecutions in 1985 and is now admissible in all states. (Hails, 184) Scientific and legal communities seem to universally accept the use of DNA as “good” evidence. Questions could arise regarding testing procedures. There are several testing methods that have been proven reliable and easily pass general acceptance and scientific validity tests. This is causes number of Daubert cases questioning DNA to decline. “In most cases, the tests that are used are well established and do not require a separate hearing” (Hails, 160)

Due to the uniqueness of DNA it has become a powerful tool in criminal investigations

DNA forensics can also narrow down suspect pools, exonerate innocent suspects, and link crimes together if the same DNA is found at both scenes. However, without existing suspects, a DNA profile cannot direct an investigation because current knowledge of genotype-phenotype relation is too vague for DNA phenotyping. For example, a profile from a first time offender that has no match in any database may give the information that the criminal is a left handed male of medium stature with red hair and freckles. It would be impossible to interview every man who fits that description. However, with available suspects, DNA forensics has many advantages over other forms of evidence. One is the longevity of DNA. Although it will deteriorate if exposed to sunlight, it can remain intact for centuries under proper conditions (Sachs, 2004). Because DNA is so durable, investigators can reopen old cases to reexamine evidence.

DNA is certain characteristics that identifies a person by race, hair color, and their sex. Technology had changed the criminal justice tremendously and DNA is a prime example of how much technology has changed the aspect of the criminal justice system. When the DNA is used in an investigation it is used to help with identifying a suspect for committing a crime. The impact that DNA has had on the criminal justice system is that it has changed the way DNA is handled, collected, and the importance of DNA. DNA has revolutionized the criminal justice system in a major way because cold cases has been solved, people have cleared from murder cases, and it has been a vital source for information in criminal cases. The case of a Florida man by name

The type of information that DNA can reveal can include future disease potentials and ancestry information (Maclin, 2005). This would be a strong argument under the Fourth Amendment as an illegal search and seizure (Maclin, 2005). Since Maryland v. King, the reliability of DNA labs is subject to compromise because of an unrealistic workload placed on understaffed labs (Ferrell, 2013). This was true even before this case ruling when the

DNA testing was introduced late in the 20th century. Since then it has been debated whether or not law enforcement should be allowed to use DNA samples in their investigations. There are currently 21 states in America that have passed laws allowing law enforcement to collect DNA from an arrestee. In order to get a sample of DNA, many agencies swab the inside of the arrestee’s cheek. Samples are used to then chemically test the DNA for genetic markers and stored in the state’s database (Taking). The state of Michigan recently became the 21st state to pass legislation allowing these DNA samples to be taken at the time of any felony arrest; felonies are classified as the most serious of crimes. A person convicted

The kindle edition of The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation, written by Alondra Nelson, is an engaging book that takes us through the timeline of genetic testing, and how it is being used and applied in society. Nelson rights about the importance of DNA and how genetic testing has helped us understand the simple social and political conflicts that can affect the future. The book depicts DNA as a powerful tool and I think The information it the book is crucial to understanding the different aspects of genetic testing. Although Nelson's view on genetic testing is not the science behind the topic, it is a fascinating angle on it through a world view.

Even with vast majorities of new technology today, DNA testing still finds people guilty in trials even when they didn’t commit the crime. America is known for having one of the most fair-minded criminal justice systems. We give every person, who is arrested, the chance to be proven innocent until they are found guilty through evidence. Within these trials, DNA tests account for a majority of the convictions or exonerations.

Before DNA testing existed in aid of crime solving, simple logic was used, but since the late 1800s, DNA testing has advanced. DNA analysis is used for comparing samples from a crime scene to a database of possible offenders. Forensic scientists have developed various technologies for analyzing offenders’ DNA, such as the Combined DNA Index System, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network, and trace evidence. These systems help investigators by linking “previously unrelated cases” ( Morton and Hilts 29).

"DNA fingerprinting." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™, Columbia University Press, 2017. Research in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSIC&sw=w&u=leb32560&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA68487596&it=r&asid=2344db37a74f7a787a06c68c231cf4bc. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

DNA forensics is a division of forensic science that focuses on the use of genetic material in criminal investigation to answer questions pertaining to legal situations, including criminal and civil cases. Through DNA testing, law enforcement officers are able to identify human remains or the individual responsible for a crime. DNA testing is a highly advanced scientific process that involves replicating the human DNA sequence to create a genetic map of an individual. Because of its reliability, DNA testing has become a significant factor in criminal cases. However, it has also been identified as having the potential to violate privacy and constitutional rights. The DNA identification process consists of five stages. These five stages

Crime is a major issue worldwide. The types of crimes vary, all differentiating in severity. Teens shoplifting candy at a grocery store, assaulting a person, and serial murders are examples of the different types of crimes. Unfortunately, many crimes that are committed the government cannot address properly because of insufficient evidence. The unidentified subject that committed a crime may leave a large amount of their DNA at the crime scene, though the DNA may not be in any databases. Identifying the subject would be increasingly difficult, and in the time dedicated to identification, the subject may perform more violations of laws. The issue of locating family members that have been separate is also a great concern among people in the United States. This is why the United States government should require all people to provide their DNA when obtaining their identification documents.

“Deoxyribonucleic Acid, also known as (DNA), was first introduced in the 1800 by Alphonse Bertillon, a French Anthropologist. DNA, which defines the hereditary make-up found in humans and other living organisms, can be obtained from the blood, saliva, sweat, hair, and urine. DNA profiling was mainly used as a method of determining paternity.” (Cormier, 2005). In 1986, DNA was first introduced into the courts when investigator’s in England asked molecular biologist, Alec Jeffreys, to use DNA to verify the innocence of a 17 year-old boy. He had been identified as a perpetrator in two rape-murder cases in the English Midlands. The tests proved that the teenager was in fact innocent and was not the perpetrator of the crimes. Because of DNA testing the perpetrator was eventually

DNA fingerprinting is important in many different fields of study today, including forensic science. One case in which DNA fingerprinting was especially important was the O.J. Simpson case. According to New York Times in 1994, if the DNA tests were done correctly they “could establish Mr. Simpson’s innocence or convince a jury that he is guilty.” Basically, testing Simpson’s DNA and comparing it to the DNA found at the crime scene could greatly sway the jury’s decision on whether Simpson was guilty or not. This case was a very famous and popular, so introducing DNA evidence in a trail like this would bring much attention to the methods of DNA testing and how accurate the results were. Before this case took place, it was thought of as a possible

The American system of justice is predicated on the search for justice. The emergence of DNA evidence as a source of evidence in this search has become a powerful ally for both the prosecution and defense in criminal trials and there has been no clear cut advantage gained by either side of the equation. The use of DNA evidence, often referred to as DNA profiling, has given police and prosecutors a new, and more reliable, means of identifying criminal but the cost of the procedure, the time involved, and the general unavailability of labs to perform the testing has caused DNA profiling to be used sparingly. On the opposite side of the ledger, DNA profiling has also allowed criminal defense lawyers and defendants to eliminate themselves from suspicion it has also served as a means of exoneration. While DNA profiling has obvious advantages, there remains doubt as to its wide scale use and how it will eventually be used by the criminal justice system. Experts in the field foresee the strong possibility of abuse in the use of DNA evidence and profiling and there are also moral and ethical issues being discussed (Walsh, 2005).