...DNA profiling is the process that is used to determine an individual's DNA characteristics. These characteristics are just as unique as fingerprints. At first, DNA profiling was only used for paternity tests to match a parent to a child. DNA evidence was able to make its way into the courts in a 1986 double rape-homicide case. A 17 year old boy had been accused of the crime but molecular biologist Alec Jeffreys used DNA tests to prove that the boy was not the perpetrator (DNA Profiling) In 1987, the Circuit Court in Orange County, Florida made their first conviction based off of DNA evidence. Tommy Lee Andrews convicted of rape by matching his DNA sample to semen found inside the rape victim. West Virginia was the first state to rule in favor...
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...Deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA, is the carrier of genetic information and the building blocks of all organisms. It is also the building block for both the defense and prosecution in criminal cases. This paper will explore the history of DNA profiling in the criminal justice system. While it is a common misconception that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA in the 1950s, it was actually discovered in the 1800s. The molecule now known as DNA was first identified in the 1860s by a Swiss chemist called Johann Friedrich Miescher. Johann set out to research the key components of white blood cells, part of our body’s immune system. The main source of these cells was pus-coated bandages collected from a nearby medical clinic....
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...DNA Profiling: Private and Personal Information The topic of ownership and sharing policies of DNA profiling results is a controversial topic amongst individuals, families, doctors, and employees. Individuals should possess ownership of their genetic information. From a legal, ethical, and social standpoint, it is wrong to force someone, unwillingly, into sharing their DNA. Socially, the release of one’s DNA may cause tension and angst between family members. Legally, it is unrealistic to assume that shared genetic information will always end up in the right hands. Many argue over who is legally responsible for test results. Aside from laws regarding doctor patient confidentiality, individuals should the legal owner of their results....
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...The Human DNA Profiling Bill (hereinafter Bill) is a legislation proposed in India to create a National DNA database and profiling board to regulate DNA profile analysis for various forensic purposes. In 2007, this Bill was proposed and the drafting began in 2012. The Bill was expected to be introduced in the monsoon session of 2015 in the Parliament, but it was not done so. The Bill has opened up a debate regarding its merits and its scope for misuse. The Bill has also been criticized for not addressing the privacy concerns. In the present dispute, the Citizens Council for Civil Liberties has opposed the Bill on privacy concerns and misuse of the Bill and has questioned the constitutionality of the Bill in a writ petition filed for the same. I. ARGUMENTS: 1)...
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...Personal Application of Criminology Paper CJA/314 Version 2 Criminology 02-27-2011 Personal Application of Criminology Paper When a person is in a situation like this, they may have a million things going through their heads, sometimes not and they’ll just proceed with calling the Police. With this situation one can handle it in a few ways, first call the police, then proceed with calling the boy’s parents, and tell my son what happened. If one can find out why this situation came about, meaning why your son’s friend came into your house by using a break in tool such as a lock pick, finding out that information would be helpful to have. The first thing a person should do is follow out with the most professional steps for the well-being of the boy, but keep your best interest at heart as well by keeping yourself safe. It’s important the parents know that their child has been involved in a crime instead of them finding out in the worst way with him calling after they have booked him in his cell. However, another reason one should call the parent because of course they may have never known that they’re child was doing things like this, and they may be able to talk some great deal of sense to him that may make him see the light of what he was doing, and if he does, the parents can talk to the police possibly and prevent him from going to jail and let them handle it. If not and the boy has to stand in front of a judge for what he did and he gets convicted of it then, the boy...
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...British geneticist who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling that are now used worldwide by investigators to bring justice to perpetrators as well as to resolve paternity and immigration disputes. Jeffreys was born into a middle-class family in Oxford, where he spent the first six years of his life until 1956, when the family moved to Luton, Bedfordshire. He attributes his curiosity and inventiveness to having been gained from his father, as well as his paternal grandfather, who held ma ny patents. When he was eight, his father gave him a chemistry set, which he enhanced over the next few years with extra chemicals, even including a small bottle of Sulphuric acid. He says he liked making small explosions, but an accidental splash of the sulphuric acid caused a burn, which left a permanent scar on his chin (now under his beard). His father also bought him a...
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...throughout the decade have been wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime that they did not commit. The United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, admits that statistically 8 to 12 percent of all state prisoners are either actually or factually innocent. * Patrick Waller- He lost 16 years of his life. Cleared by DNA evidence and set free July 3rd 2008. * Tim Brian Cole- He lost 25 years of his life. Cole died in prison on December 2nd 1999, during an asthma attack. He was later cleared by DNA evidence. * Kerry Max Cook- He lost 22 years of his life. Two decades on death row, was released due to DNA evidence in 1999. * Earl Washington- He lost 10 years of his life. On death row, later cleared by DNA evidence in 1999. These are just 4 out of 100 people that are wrongfully convicted of a crime. We are set out to believe that the Justice System is fair. What if we are wrong! What is fair of taking years of someone’s life? Especially someone that is innocent… In the U.S., as of September 2011, 273 people including 17 death row inmates, have been exonerated by use of DNA tests. The increasing use of DNA testing to help confirm the innocence or guilt in capital cases is one among many reforms that will help ensure that innocent people are not...
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...Stein June 24th 2012 Fingerprinting DNA fingerprinting, also called DNA profiling, applies a test to determine the unique DNA sequence that each person has for the purpose of identification. In the 1930s, police detectives found each person has different patterns on the tips of the fingers, and these fingerprints became the standard for identification. However, the finger patterns can be altered by surgery or other means. DNA within living cells is difficult to alter. Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester invented genetic printing in the mid 1980s. The DNA profile is similar to a fingerprint, existing only for that person. Jeffreys coined the term DNA fingerprint and envisioned its powerful use. A single hair, a drop of blood, semen, or other body fluid can reveal the identity of a person. DNA fingerprinting is used for identifying people, studying populations, and forensic investigations. It is in the area of forensics and crime detection that DNA use is the most promising-- as well as the most controversial. The technology of DNA fingerprinting is based on a single assumption that no two people have the same DNA. The 3-billion-base sequence is made of four biochemical blocks or nucleotides: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). The base pairs produce more combinations or variations than there are humans. In DNA fingerprinting, scientists focus on a segment where sequences vary a great deal from...
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...New Methods for the Forensic Analysis of DNA By Professor David S. Haymer I attended the lecture by Professor Haymer about new methods for the forensic analysis of DNA. Forensic science has long been used in the US legal system for classic fingerprints, lie detector tests and others. Even though the use of DNA evidence is relatively new, it has changed a lot about forensic science and how things are done. It’s changed the legal standards for use of forensics in the courtroom and the way the evidence is collected and preserved, and how police are trained to investigate crimes. DNA is considered to be superior in many ways to other forms of forensic evidence like fingerprints, hair analysis and serology tests. The only DNA forensic evidence...
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...1)Introduction; Crime today is at an extreme high. However, forensic science has been there to help solve every crime committed Forensic science is the scientific method of gathering and examining information about the past. The word forensic comes from the Latin forēnsis, meaning "of or before the forum. The word forensic basically means the key to solve a crime.This is the technology used to help forensic teams to analyze and solve crimes.- This is especially important in law enforcement where forensics is done in relation to criminal or civil law,[1] but forensics are also carried out in other fields, such as astronomy, archaeology, biology and geology to investigate ancient times. Forensic Science is used to Identify Criminals Rape, murder, theft, and other crimes almost always leave a devastating mark on the victim. . In modern forensic science, the crime laboratories include photography section, Evidence storage section, identification section, chemistry section, General examination section, Fire arms section, instrument section and crime scene search section. 2)Origins of forensic science: In 16th-century Europe, medical practitioners in army and university settings began to gather information on the cause and manner of death. Ambroise Paré, a French army surgeon, systematically studied the effects of violent death on internal organs.[9][10] Two Italian surgeons, Fortunato Fidelis and Paolo Zacchia, laid the foundation...
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...Analysis of DNA samples to identify individuals by characteristics of their DNA, known as DNA profiling, is used in forensic science to establish the guilt or innocence of criminal suspects, to identify victims, to determine paternity, and to contribute to basic research. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to replicate certain regions of the DNA sample. The short tandem repeat (STR) analysis is used to compare the length of STR sequences at specific sites in the genome. In the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, a DNA sample is cut into small pieces using a restriction enzyme, which are them separated by size and made visible on a gel. Population evolution, the generation-to-generation changes in a population’s frequency of alleles, can be used to estimate the frequency of a harmful allele, which can be useful in dealing with genetic diseases. Three examples of this evolution are genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection. Genetic drift is a change in the gene pool of a small population due to chance. Gene flow is a genetic exchange with another population, which may add or remove alleles. In natural selection, the individuals with heritable traits suitable to the local environment generally leave more surviving, fertile offspring....
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...Forensic Science in the 21st Century Gertrude West Forensic Science and Psychological Profiling /CJA590 May 30, 2011 Edward Baker Forensic Science in the 21st Century Forensic science has various influences on crime, investigation and the people that are involved. Forensic science has a connection with the courts to ensure crimes are getting solved and justice is being served to those that commit crimes. With the help of forensic science, crimes are being solved from a human and technological aspect. This paper highlights numerous discussions on how forensic science plays a role in criminal justices system, security, media and the law. Forensic science is a separate entity from the police; although a large portion of the work is obtains through law enforcement. Forensic science is a recognizable component of policing during criminal investigation. The successful resolution from a crime scene involves preventing the site from being contaminated. This helps assures a great deal of gathering and interpreting evidence that could lead to an accurate interpretation of the event. The advances in technology are being applied to forensic science; a field in which technical is achieved by many factors such as including training, experience, continued education, and scientific methodology (NYSP, 2007). Forensic Science continues to develop in the 21st Century. It blends science and technology that has been useful for law enforcement to solve crimes and prosecute...
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...Introduction 14 year old Steven Truscott gave his classmate Lynne Harper a ride on his bicycle on June 9, 1959. Truscott had dropped her off before they parted ways. Lynne was reported missing later that night, and two days later, her body was found on a nearby farm. She was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. The community was horrified by what happened to this young girl and everyone was determined to find the killer. Immediately, investigators became fixated on Truscott as the prime suspect since he was the last person to see Lynne. They didn’t consider any other suspects, even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the murder. He was arrested 24 hours later, and stood trial as an adult. (Steven Truscott | Murderpedia). The entire case was based on circumstantial evidence, and Truscott was found guilty and became the youngest person in Canada to be sentenced to death at the age of 14. The Crown’s theory was that Truscott committed the murder sometime between 7:15 and 7:45PM. The theory was supported by conflicting testimonies from child witnesses, testimony from the pathologist, Dr. John Penistan, and evidence on Truscott’s body (Harland-Logan). Four months after his conviction, Truscott’s sentence got commuted to life in prison. After spending 10 years in prison, Truscott was paroled in 1969, where he began a new life under a new name and started a family. This never changed the fact that Truscott had lost many of the good years of his life. Throughout...
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...DNA profiling using gel Name:Maurevensly Jeudy Lab partner: Urvi Abstract This lab consisted on utilizing and learning about DNa fingerprinting and it’s process, from building up an comprehension of how electrophoresis and confinement compounds are utilized as a part of connection to DNA fingerprinting to contrasting the DNA parts got from the two suspects to the DNA parts from the wrongdoing scene keeping in mind the end goal to decide regardless of whether there is a match. It was anticipated from an arbitrary figure that of the comes about because of the two suspects, the second one would coordinate the DNA pieces from the wrongdoing scene. A trial in which gel was thrown and hardened, at that point infused with DNA tests and chemicals...
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...Today technology has advanced so much that we can get DNA from people just by a little bit of skin or saliva but, it was not always like this. The crime scene has come a long way from where it started. It’s evolution not only produced better results and more techniques to investigate, but has fixed issues that may have occurred before. Unlike how most people think of it forensics uses in investigations has been around for more than just the past 50 years. It has been around for thousands. In ancient times people assumed the way people died on where and how their body was found. For example if a body was found near or in a river it was assumed that they drowned. Another is if a body was found on the side of the road being bloody with broken...
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