STORY: "F.B.I. audit of database that indexes DNA finds errors in profiles," by reporter Joseph Goldstein, published by the New York Times on January 24, 2014.
GIST: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation,
in a review of a national DNA database, has identified nearly 170
profiles that probably contain errors, some the result of handwriting
mistakes or interpretation errors by lab technicians, while New York
State authorities have turned up mistakes in DNA profiles in New York’s
database. The
discoveries, submitted by the New York City medical examiner’s office
to a state oversight panel, show that the capacity for human error is
ever-present, even when it comes to the analysis of DNA evidence, which
can take on an aura of infallibility in court, defense lawyers and
scientists said. The
errors identified so far implicate only a tiny fraction of the total
DNA profiles in the national database, which holds nearly 13 million
profiles, more than 12 million from convicts and suspects, and an
additional 527,000 from crime scenes. Still, the disclosure of scores of
mistaken DNA profiles at once appears to be unprecedented, scientists
said.........“These
revelations spotlight how human error can detract from the reliability
of the testing process,” said Alan Gardner, the head of Legal Aid’s DNA
unit, which is challenging the city medical examiner’s methods for
discerning DNA profiles in complex mixture cases. In
court, prosecutors often describe the strength of DNA evidence against a
defendant with numbers that can run into the billions — expressing how
unlikely it is that a person chosen at random would also have a DNA
profile linked to the crime scene. But the rate of errors by a lab or a
technician, a less dramatic topic, can be a much more relevant
statistic, many defense lawyers and some scientists said. “If
we say there is a 1-in-10-quadrillion chance that someone else might
have the same DNA profile, but there is also a 1-in-10,000 chance that
there was a mistake in generating the profile, the only number the
jurors should be paying attention to is the error rating, said Dr.
Krane, who was once on a forensic science commission for the State of
Virginia and now consults with defense lawyers on DNA cases."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/nyregion/fbi-audit-of-database-that-indexes-dna-finds-errors-in-profiles.html?_r=0
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.