The Case For DNA Testing In Legal Procedures

The Case For DNA Testing In Legal Procedures. - By: Miraley F


Probably the most popular uses for this kind of testing is in identifying the likelihood of another person being the mother or father of a child. In its natural form, testing primarily based on human DNA is precise, but there are several factors which can result in samples getting corrupted, and incorrect findings can then sometimes be reached.

The discovery of DNA introduced the opportunity for a substantial advancement in criminal detection. Genetic material found at the scene of a crime can be matched up with that of persons filed in a genetic data bank. Due to the extreme rarity of each DNA profile, pure samples have the ability to be specific to the degree necessary for criminal prosecution and conviction. The chances of obtaining a fairer and far more accurate legal process extended to child maintenance and paternity suits, in which solid evidence would frequently be obtainable to establish the truth.

The DNA samples which are often used in legitimate detection are as distinctive as the human fingerprint, and are produced from a blend of the DNA of both parents. This explaines why the process is particularly suitable for identifying the parentage of a child when that question is in doubt. In criminal investigations, the procedure is usually used to rule out people whose DNA does not match up with the sample found at the scene, because it is rarely possible to be 100% positive using profiles obtained from crime scenes.

However, the probability of an error typically falls within just fractions of one percent, so when used in combination with other solid evidence it is often definitive. The chances for mistakes increase greatly as samples age and degrade, which is why some of the efforts to resolve criminal cases which are decades old have lead to such controversy. At times there have also been challenges with apparatus being used to gather samples being found to be contaminated, occasionally causing the DNA of an innocent person becoming spread across a number of crime scenes.

Additionally there are the predictable civil liberty concerns around DNA testing, as law enforcement regulators seek to develop data banks of DNA to help with their investigations. Opponents insist that people are not aware that they are leaving forensic evidence in open public places, and that even if they were aware there would be next to nothing they could do to avoid it taking place.There is on the other hand, the factor that almost everything you do in a public location can be seen and witnessed so a level of privacy does not exist anyway.

No matter what the arguments, there are many people who have already been released from lengthy prison terms which they were serving for crimes they did not commit, thanks to DNA testing.