Questionable DNA Evidence Raises the Eyebrows of Many

0 Comments | Insight on the News, June 24, 2003

Byline: INSIGHT

Questionable DNA Evidence Raises the Eyebrows of Many

Timothy W. Maier's cover story about tainted evidence at the nation's DNA labs was interesting ["Inside the DNA Labs," June 10-23]. And I believe Peter Neufeld [director of the Innocence Project] has hit the nail on the head: The labs are part of the police apparatus when they should be part of the courts' apparatus.

Things are even worse in areas of forensic science where the evidence is more subjective and therefore more subject to interpretation (or misinterpretation). Consider the investigation of fires, for example. The vast majority of fire investigators do not possess even a bachelor's degree, have no formal scientific training and are not certified by anyone. Yet these individuals have the power to send people to prison, or cause the loss of their life savings, based on their "opinion" that a fire intentionally was set. If a fire investigator believes that a fire was "too hot" or "too fast," he may conclude that the fire "had help." Often, if it is ruled that a fire was set intentionally, there is only one possible suspect, so if the investigator's opinion is in error, an innocent person may be convicted or his insurance claim denied.

As much as I respect the work of the Innocence Project, what it does is easy compared with the work of someone trying to help overturn a wrongful arson conviction. There is no DNA to prove innocence; there is only another "opinion." The National Fire Protection Association has tried to inject more science into the investigation of fires, but the "profession" has fought the process every step of the way. Things have gotten better in cases where the defense counsel has the resources to hire a competent fire expert before the trial, but postconviction relief is still just a phrase in most cases.

John J. Lentini

Fire Investigations Manager

Applied Technical Services Inc.

Marietta, Ga.

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The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands utilizes the FBI's DNA laboratory for the gathering of evidence. I appreciate Insight for writing this particular article. We have allowed the media to rant and rave about how good the evidence is, but not how bad it could be. If there are further findings concerning the FBI's DNA lab I would appreciate reading about them.

Ivy Moses

via the Internet

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I am a professor of forensic medicine from India, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. It was very informative and well-written.

Anil Aggrawal

Maulana Azad Medical College

New Delhi, India

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In his article, Maier described the California DNA Forensics Program as facing the following situation:

"In California, tens of thousands of samples sit in refrigerators from which they have yet to be placed in an offender database. The state has released thousands of violent offenders without collecting their DNA, although recently it has improved, nearly doubling the number of convicts it has tested to about 78,000 far behind Virginia's 123,000 DNA profiles."

As the public-information officer specializing in the DNA Forensics Program, I would like to provide an update to these described improvements. Specifically, California has cleared its backlog for convicted-felon samples. We now have a convicted-felons databank that contains more than 260,000 DNA samples. As a result, we are averaging a "cold hit" a day, currently totaling 340 hits.

We appreciate Insight's interest in our DNA program.

Manuel Valencia III

California Attorney General's Office

Reporter Exposes the Truth Behind Strong-Dollar Policy

Thank you to Kelly Patricia O'Meara for her recent article, "'Strong Dollar' Hides Weak Policy," [June 10-23]. It seems so logical to ask the simple question, "What is the strong-dollar policy?" Yet no one in the mainstream press has an interest in pursuing the issue. Why?

There indeed is/was a "policy," and it now is coming apart at the seams. That is the reason no one in an official capacity will go on the record to clarify the issue. Bill Murphy [chairman of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee] is on the scent. And O'Meara is correct: The emperor indeed has no clothes! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to O'Meara, and don't let this one go!

W.G. Hiler

via the Internet

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Kelly Patricia O'Meara has netted you one new subscriber. This woman is good real good. She is a reporter of the highest rank.

Ronald Slusser

via the Internet

Small Virus Could Lead to Big Problems for Airlines

The problem with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is that the virus that causes it is among the smallest. This means mechanical filters in airliners probably are not good enough, since they usually specify a minimum size particle the filter can remove ["How Good Is the Air Up There?" May 27-June 9].

There is another technique that might work electrostatic precipitation, combined with ultraviolet (UV) light. In the case of electrostatic filters, the smaller the particle the better, and UV tends to break up pathogens.

C. Norman Winningstad

Newport, Ore.

Saddam and Chavez Show Some Disturbing Similarities