Senior forensic scientists in New South Wales, Australia, are warning that the drastic cuts to the forensic science workforce in the cash-strapped state, will threaten justice. The workforce is being cut by almost a quarter, with police being asked to do primary collection of potential DNA. The State already has a significant backlog of cases where evidence remains to be tested. Claude Roux warns that with police submitting samples for testing, DNA may lose its context – a vital element in correctly interpreting DNA. Read more about the cuts here…
Blog Editor
Mark Godsey
Daniel P. & Judith L. Carmichael Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law; Director, Center for the Global Study of Wrongful Conviction; Director, Rosenthal Institute for Justice/Ohio Innocence ProjectOrder Here
Contributing Editors
Justin Brooks
Professor, California Western School of Law; Director, California Innocence ProjectOrder his book Wrongful Convictions Cases & Materials 2d ed. hereCheah Wui Ling
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of SingaporeDaniel Ehighalua
Nigerian BarristerJessica S. Henry
Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair UniversityCarey D. Hoffman
Director of Digital Communications, Ohio Innocence Project@OIPCommunicati1Shiyuan Huang
Associate Professor, Shandong University Law School; Visiting Scholar, University of Cincinnati College of LawC Ronald Huff
Professor of Criminology, Law & Society and Sociology, University of California-IrvinePhil Locke
Science and Technology Advisor, Ohio Innocence Project and Duke Law Wrongful Convictions ClinicDr. Carole McCartney
Reader in Law, Faculty of Business and Law, Northumbria UniversityNancy Petro
Author and Advocate Order her book False Justice hereKana Sasakura
Professor, Faculty of Law, Konan University Innocence Project JapanDr. Robert Schehr
Professor, Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona University; Executive Director, Arizona Innocence ProjectUlf Stridbeck
Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, NorwayMartin Yant
Author and Private Investigator Order his book Presumed Guilty here
As I see it, the problem is a two way street.
An innocent person could be convicted;
A guilty person could escape detection entirely.
Were I an LEO, I would not want the responsibility of collecting DNA that may convict or acquit a defendant unless I were adequately trained to do so.