NCJ Number
130183
Journal
Law Enforcement Quarterly Dated: (May-June-July 1991) Pages: 5-7,27,28,31
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Recent cases show the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis of blood and other body fluids and tissues to identify offenders and as an aid for both police and prosecutors.
Abstract
DNA testing is widely used in a variety of scientific fields. In forensic laboratories, testing is most often done using "RFLP" testing or "Southern blotting." A less-common form of testing is the polymerase chain reaction, a chemical procedure used when the sample is too small for the RFLP technique. The admissibility of DNA test results has been legally challenged, and the California Supreme Court has ruled that such testing must be carefully scrutinized before a jury can hear and consider its results. In some cases judges have excluded DNA evidence. Nevertheless, plans are under way to create databases and indexes of convicted felons' DNA profiles. DNA typing represents the most powerful forensic science method since the discovery of the uniqueness of fingerprints. Illustrations and 10 references.