A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences casts doubt on the effectiveness of American crime labs. The report indicates that, due to problems with funding, the quality of the science used, and the lack of dependable standards, much evidence used in court is unreliable. Additionally, according to the report, the only type of evidence that is truly dependable is DNA. The article on MSN states that “no other crime scene evidence is dependable enough to allow police officers to testify in court, as they often do, that it’s ‘a match’ to a specific person.”
The report states that due to a lack of strict standards, low funding, and a lack of proper equipment, crime labs are unprepared to perform truly reliable scientific tests on evidence. The report claims that the only effective solution will be a massive overhaul of the crime labs. The report also recommends that crime labs do more to adhere to accepted scientific standards when processing evidence.
For more information, go to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29258576/
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12589