NCJ Number
151723
Journal
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-June 1994) Pages: 8-14
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This analysis of problems associated with expert testimony argues that scientists and attorneys should collaborate to ensure that science is used more appropriately than allowed by former methods by equipping juries to assess expert evidence.
Abstract
Methods designed to prevent wrongful conviction in the past are poorly suited to the assessment of complex scientific evidence in courts of the late 20th Century. Scientists and attorneys can aid juries by providing a list of the standard procedures of the scientist's profession, put in the same logical sequence as the expert followed during the testing and reasoning. This approach would enable jurors to understand the categories of scientific argument and the types of possible errors, such as measurement errors, false positives or negatives, statistical errors, individual variation, and inconsistent descriptions and terminology. Respected organizations such as the Australian Academy of Science might also assist courts in obtaining professional standards on which the courts could rely in assessing evidence from forensic sciences. 5 reference notes