Understanding of Forensics Dna

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1. Background and problem statement

Increasing awareness of the power of DNA testing to solve crimes has increased demand for DNA analysis, which has resulted in a backlog of casework. The demonstrated ability of DNA testing to generate leads in criminal investigations has led some jurisdictions to use their Forensic DNA for familial searching, which involves using offender profiles to identify relatives who might be perpetrators of crimes. In addition to solving crimes, DNA analysis can also help exonerate people incarcerated for crimes they did not commit (James, 2011).

State and federal Forensic DNA have proved instrumental in solving crimes, reducing the risk of convicting the wrong person, and establishing the innocence of those wrongly convicted (James, 2011). DNA evidence is used to solve crimes in two ways:

• In cases where a suspect is known, a sample of that person’s DNA can be compared to biological evidence found at a crime scene. The results of this comparison may then help establish whether the suspect was at the crime scene or whether he/she committed the crime.

• In cases where a suspect is not known, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender profiles contained in existing Forensic DNA to assist in identifying the perpetrator. Through the use of DNA databases, biological evidence found at one crime scene can also be connected to other crime scenes, linking them to the same perpetrator or perpetrators.

Forensic DNA are one of the most controversial topics in DNA fingerprinting. A DNA database is a collection of DNA profiles on a computer used to compare a single DNA fingerprint against a large number of DNA samples. Many people believe that Forensic DNA help makes the society we live in safer. Others, however, feel that they represent an invasion of privacy.

2. Significance of study

In the future, policymakers may also focus...