Forensic Errors Often Contribute to Wrongful Convictions

Forensic science errors are a significant factor in wrongful convictions, according to an influential California commission comprised of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and academics.

According to the commission report, forensic testing errors were present in 63 percent of DNA exoneration cases from across the country analyzed by the Innocence Project at New York’s Cardozo Law School.

The report is the fifth one put out by the commission. Previous reports expressed concerns over false confessions, use of police informants, backlogs on DNA in crime labs, and eyewitness errors, which are the leading cause of wrongful convictions.

In light of its findings, the commission is calling for stricter standards when it comes to forensic science testing and evidence. The commission is also urging greater training of lawyers and judges in the use (and misuse) of DNA evidence given its rapid development.

“This is long overdue. We’re in a world where forensic science is playing a greater role in all criminal cases,” said university professor and head of the justice commission’s administration Gerald F. Uelmen.

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

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