Forensic Evidence in Court

Informationen zum Autor Craig Adam is based at the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK. He has been involved in forensic science education and research for almost fifteen years while working at Keele University. Originally a physicist by training, he has particular interests in the mathematical and statistical aspects of the discipline, in addition to his research on the physicochemical characterisation of forensic materials, document analysis and blood dynamics. He has published across all these areas, including the textbook Essential Mathematics and Statistics for Forensic Science, available from Wiley-Blackwell. He has extensive experience in developing teaching resources across the spectrum of forensic science and, over recent years, has focused on the interface between science and the court. This has led him to explore the legal, scientific and statistical perspectives driving the evolution of the crucial step in the progress of scientific evidence from the crime scene through the legal debate to its influence on the ultimate decision by the court. Klappentext The interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence and its presentation in a court of law is central both to the role of the forensic scientist as an expert witness and to the interests of justice. This book aims to provide a thorough and detailed discussion of the principles and practice of evidence interpretation and evaluation by using real cases by way of illustration. The presentation is appropriate for students of forensic science or related disciplines at advanced undergraduate and master's level or for practitioners engaged in continuing professional development activity.The book is structured in three sections. The first sets the scene by describing and debating the issues around the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence presented to the court. In the second section, the principles underpinning interpretation and evaluation are explained, including discussion of those formal statistical methods founded on Bayesian inference. The following chapters present perspectives on the evaluation and presentation of evidence in the context of a single type or class of scientific evidence, from DNA to the analysis of documents. For each, the science underpinning the analysis and interpretation of the forensic materials is explained, followed by the presentation of cases which illustrate the variety of approaches that have been taken in providing expert scientific opinion. Zusammenfassung The interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence and its presentation in a court of law is central both to the role of the forensic scientist as an expert witness and to the interests of justice. This book aims to provide a thorough and detailed discussion of the principles and practice of evidence interpretation and evaluation by using real cases by way of illustration. The presentation is appropriate for students of forensic science or related disciplines at advanced undergraduate and master's level or for practitioners engaged in continuing professional development activity.The book is structured in three sections. The first sets the scene by describing and debating the issues around the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence presented to the court. In the second section, the principles underpinning interpretation and evaluation are explained, including discussion of those formal statistical methods founded on Bayesian inference. The following chapters present perspectives on the evaluation and presentation of evidence in the context of a single type or class of scientific evidence, from DNA to the analysis of documents. For each, the science underpinning the analysis and interpretation of the forensic materials is explained, followed by the presentation of cases which illustrate the variety of approaches that have been taken in providing expert scientific opinion. I...

Autorentext

Craig Adam is based at the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK. He has been involved in forensic science education and research for almost fifteen years while working at Keele University. Originally a physicist by training, he has particular interests in the mathematical and statistical aspects of the discipline, in addition to his research on the physicochemical characterisation of forensic materials, document analysis and blood dynamics. He has published across all these areas, including the textbook Essential Mathematics and Statistics for Forensic Science, available from Wiley-Blackwell. He has extensive experience in developing teaching resources across the spectrum of forensic science and, over recent years, has focused on the interface between science and the court. This has led him to explore the legal, scientific and statistical perspectives driving the evolution of the crucial step in the progress of scientific evidence from the crime scene through the legal debate to its influence on the ultimate decision by the court.

Klappentext

The interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence and its presentation in a court of law is central both to the role of the forensic scientist as an expert witness and to the interests of justice. This book aims to provide a thorough and detailed discussion of the principles and practice of evidence interpretation and evaluation by using real cases by way of illustration. The presentation is appropriate for students of forensic science or related disciplines at advanced undergraduate and master's level or for practitioners engaged in continuing professional development activity. The book is structured in three sections. The first sets the scene by describing and debating the issues around the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence presented to the court. In the second section, the principles underpinning interpretation and evaluation are explained, including discussion of those formal statistical methods founded on Bayesian inference. The following chapters present perspectives on the evaluation and presentation of evidence in the context of a single type or class of scientific evidence, from DNA to the analysis of documents. For each, the science underpinning the analysis and interpretation of the forensic materials is explained, followed by the presentation of cases which illustrate the variety of approaches that have been taken in providing expert scientific opinion.

Inhalt

Preface xvi Part 1 1 1 An Introduction to the Admissibility of Expert Scientific Opinion 3 1.1 Admissibility, Reliability and Scientific Evidence 3 1.2 The Impact of the DNA Revolution 5 1.3 The Miscarriage of Justice 6 1.3.1 The United Kingdom 7 1.3.2 The United States 8 1.3.3 Canada 8 1.3.4 Australia 9 1.4 DNA Reveals Wrongful Convictions 9 1.5 The Causes of Wrongful Conviction 10 1.6 Unreliable Scientific Evidence 11 1.6.1 The Status and Expertise of the Expert Witness 11 1.6.2 The Expert is not Impartial 12 1.6.3 The Evidence was Wrong 13 1.6.4 Exaggerated Evaluation by the Expert 13 1.6.5 Unethical Behaviour 14 1.6.6 Human Error 14 1.6.7 Non-validated Methodology 15 1.6.8 Overconfidence in New Techniques 15 1.7 The Scientist and the Laboratory 16 1.8 Conclusions 17 References 17 Further Reading 18 2 Admissibility from the Legal Perspective 20 2.1 Admissibility, Relevance and Reliability of Evidence 20 2.2 Admissibility in the United States 22 2.2.1 Reliability and the Frye Test 22 2.2.2 Meeting the Frye Criterion: US v Stifel 1970 23 2.2.3 Admissibility and the Gatekeeper Role: The Daubert Test 23 2.2.4 The Daubert Trilogy 25 2.2.5 General Electric v Joiner 1997 25 2.2.6 Kumo Tire Company v Patrick Carmichael 1999 26 2.2.7 Post?]Daubert Hearings: US v Dennis Mooney 2002 26 2.3 Admissibility in Canada 27 2.3.1 R v Mohan 1994 27 2.3.2 R v Abbey 2009 29 2.3.3 R v Trochym 2007 29 2.4 Admissibility in Australia 30 2.4.1 R v Bonyt…