With the increased focus on forensic evidence, does today’s prosecutor have to contend with a different set of juror expectations?
myth vs. fact
Myth: Advanced DNA analysis automatically identifies an individual within minutes.
Fact: DNA analysis takes several hours to complete for even simple cases; however, due to manpower shortages at crime labs nationwide, DNA test results typically take 30 days or more to process [M.R. Durose. 2008. Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2005 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics]. In addition, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) stores no personal data with its 7.5 million DNA records. To confirm identity, analysts search other databases containing information about convicted offenders, unsolved crimes and missing persons at the local, state and national levels.
More information on CODIS can be found here »
surveys reveal…
22% of jurors expect DNA evidence to be presented in every criminal case. [4]
Robert E. O’Neill
Chief of the Criminal Division for the United
States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida Biography »