In recent years, the use of DNA evidence has become more and more widespread in criminal cases. Recent concerns regarding the accuracy of DNA evidence have called into question the verdicts of thousands of criminal cases in which that evidence was instrumental in making a conviction.
The collection and analysis of DNA evidence is a scientific process. Just as is the case with other types of science, such as medicine, scientists are constantly gaining new insights and making new developments in the field of DNA analysis. This means that the methods that have been used to analyze DNA samples have not remained the same over time. Continued innovation and insight are valuable, but, just as is the case with other types of science, as our knowledge and experience with DNA increases, we may learn that what we had previously thought to be correct is actually incorrect. Recent advancements in the field of DNA analysis indicate that crime labs all over America may have misinterpreted the results of some DNA tests.
In misinterpreting the results of mixed DNA tests, crime labs may have unintentionally miscalculated the probabilities associated with the samples that were tested. DNA evidence is sometimes explained to jurors as a type of evidence that can provide an answer to questions regarding the likelihood that a certain event occurred. For example, how likely is it that anyone besides the defendant in a criminal case was present at the crime scene? Some estimates suggest that the misinterpretation of mixed DNA test results could have generated statements regarding probability that were extremely inaccurate, such as a one in fifty chance being described as a one in a million chance.
The potential implications of the aforementioned concerns are, as you might imagine, rather serious. The logistics involved in retesting thousands of DNA samples are both complex and costly. There have been over twenty five thousand cases in Texas alone which took place after 1999 and in which mixed DNA evidence was involved. There are serious legal concerns regarding the rights of criminal defendants who may have been convicted by juries who were misled by the seeming credibility and certainty of DNA evidence. These defendants may need to be retried, which could be very difficult for the defendants, the crime victims, and their families.
Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Providing Strong Defense When Texans Need it Most
Although there are currently some concerns regarding the analysis of DNA evidence, these concerns are not likely to reduce its role in criminal cases. An experienced criminal defense attorney understands all of the types of evidence that are used in criminal cases, and they can use this knowledge to build a strong case on your behalf. If you are charged with any type of crime, Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra may be able to help you. To learn more, please call our office today, at (903) 753-7499. Alternatively, you may contact us online.