The American Court System And Dna - 1014 Words

The American Court System and DNA Will the use of forensic DNA in the courts be the equalizer for the wrongly convicted? Per the National Registry of Exonerations, there have been 1,916 exonerations in the United States since 1989 (â€Å"National Registry of Exonerations,† n.d.). Barry Scheck and The Innocence Project have been instrumental in facilitating the exoneration process by presenting forensic DNA evidence to American courtrooms. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material that lies within the nucleus of all cells in humans and other living organisms. Each person’s DNA is unique, and only identical twins share the exact DNA (Vocabulary.com, 2016). Quite by accidents, while conducting research in his laboratory, Sir Alec Jeffreys developed the technique for the biological ID of any person using only a tiny sample of their DNA (Royal Society of Biologists, 2016, p. 16). Since the introduction, the use of forensic DNA has manifested a major impact up on the prosecution, juries, and the wrongly convicted in the American Court System. As an instrumental character in the adversarial process the American Criminal Justice system uses, the impact of DNA evidence directly affects the way prosecutors present their case during trial. When a prosecutor introduced DNA forensic evidence to the American courtroom in 1987, that DNA forensic evidence was the catalyst that secured the conviction of a rapist, Tommie Lee Andrews, in Orange County, Florida (StateShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Maryland V King1670 Words   |  7 Pages our justice system must consider the constitutionality of surveillance and other information gathering techniques and how they coincide with current interpretations of the Fourth Amendment which protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court addressed this issue in the 2013 case of Maryland v King explicitly related to the legality of DNA collection of individuals early in the booking pr ocess for serious crimes. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that pre-convictionRead MoreDNA Profiling and Criminal Justice: Ethical and Legal Issues1079 Words   |  4 PagesThe American system of justice is predicated on the search for justice. The emergence of DNA evidence as a source of evidence in this search has become a powerful ally for both the prosecution and defense in criminal trials and there has been no clear cut advantage gained by either side of the equation. The use of DNA evidence, often referred to as DNA profiling, has given police and prosecutors a new, and more reliable, means of identifying criminal but the cost of the procedure, the time involvedRead MoreQuantitative Research Essay1090 Words   |  5 Pagesgoverning the administration of paternal processes, vary from state to state within the United States. The U.S. court system allows states to enforce paternal sanctions even after they have been definitively determined that a man is not the biolo gical father of the child. (Brott. 2008) Currently, these irregularities regarding paternity create egregious injustices such as, men who, through DNA testing, have been proven not to be the biological father of the child, still being force to pay child support;Read MoreEssay on DNA in the Forensic Science Community1500 Words   |  6 Pagesacid (DNA) collection and its relationship to solving crimes. The collection of DNA is one of the most important steps in identifying a suspect in a crime. DNA evidence can either convict or exonerate an individual of a crime. Furthermore, the accuracy of forensic identification of evidence has the possibility of leaving biased effects on a juror (Carrell, Krauss, Liberman, Miethe, 2008). This paper examines Carrells et al’s research along with three other research articles to review how DNA isRead MoreThe Effects Of Crime On The Victim Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesIn the past several years exonerations have increased astronomica lly. Aspects of this can be due to the advances with DNA evidence among other things. Although the effects on the exonerated are more than substantial the victim is usually under represented. In 2013 the ICF International analyzed several cases to show impacts of crime on the victim and what goes on during an exoneration. Influences experienced during a crime can range from physical to psychological for a victim. Physical affectsRead MoreRace And Class : The American Criminal Justice System903 Words   |  4 PagesRace and Class in the American Criminal Justice System In the article â€Å"Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System† by David Cole the inequality within the United State s Criminal Justice System is summarized. David Cole is a graduate from Yale University where he has received his law and bachelor’s degree. He specializes in many different fields of Criminal Justice, and is a fairly well known writer regarding legal affairs and political actions like civil liberties and national securityRead MoreThe Trails of Darryl Hunt1263 Words   |  6 PagesGray was known as a shady and unreliable source. Little brought this to the attention of defense attorneys Mark Rabil and Larry Gordon. The defense argued their case to the court, but it did not help. On August 10, 1984 Darryl Hunt was convicted by an all-white jury and sentence to life in prison. In 1990 six years later, the court gave Darryl a new trial based on new evidence. Hunt was released on $50,000 bond, and represented by a new defense James Ferguson. Pros ecutors Dean Bowman and Jimmy YatesRead MoreDna Testing And The Criminal Justice1230 Words   |  5 PagesBefore any release, there must be proper evidence showing that the accused had nothing to do with the crime. The introduction of the first person using DNA to prove his innocent was David Vasquez. In 1985, he was convicted, later in 1990; he was released due to DNA evidence (O’Leary, 2012). Since the Vasquez case, DNA testing has been a very powerful technique to use to prove a person’s innocence. A great reason for this is because victims are capable of lying and misidentifying. In addition, theRead MoreHow The Oj Simpson Trial Changed America1616 Words   |  7 Pageslines, with many African Americans defending Simpson(an African American), and many whites accusing Simpson and taking the side of Nicole Simpson(white). In the end with the jury coming out with a not guilty verdict, a new trend of the athletes and famous being able to pay out of trials. The OJ Simpson trial demonstrated the power of the media, racial tension in American society still out there, and an increased perception that wealth could influence the judicial system. The media landscape changedRead MoreThe Role Of Eyewitness And Scientific Identifications854 Words   |  4 PagesHatchett who’s combined wrongful imprisonment reaches nearly half a century. According to the innocent project Eyewitness misidentification is the greatest contributing factor in wrongful convictions proven by DNA testing, playing a role in more than 70% of convictions overturned through DNA testing nationwide. In class we recently learned about Ronald Cotton and how unreliable eyewitness testimonies typically can be, before I address the most current exoneration of New York native Andre Hatchett