Essay Preview: Dna
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Running head: DNA The New Crime Investigator
DNA the New Crime Investigator
Nicolas Marcus
Mr. McCrum
March 24, 2008
Abstract
What is DNA? The scientific definition is “deoxyribonucleic acid, the biological polymer that stores the genetic information in all free living organisms. Two linear molecules entwine to form the double helix. Now that the definition has been stated, let’s now define what DNA means to a crime scene or case investigator. In the law enforcement business DNA has been introduce as a revolutionary and efficient accurate tool to solve and crack modern and cold cases. It also has played major roles in courtrooms through out the nation on either proven guilt, or revealing the truth behind the innocence on the wrongly accused and convicted by our own court system. DNA has also brought justice to those who have been brutally victimized of rape and sexual abuse by atrocious conniving sex predators.
DNA the New Crime Investigator
“DNA was discovered in 1868”, around the same time that the laws of heredity were being written by Gregor Mendel which laid the foundation for the modern science of genetics. A major break through which eventually made possible forensic uses of DNA occurred in the early 1950’s when James Watson and Francis Crick solved the puzzle of DNA’s structure and precipitated the revolution in molecular biology which followed. By solving the puzzle they made this foundation of our modern DNA analyzes used in today’s forensic science. (2)
Some of the characteristics that make DNA unique on its uses are:
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Each person has a unique DNA profile
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Each person’s DNA is the same in every cell
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An individual’s DNA profile remains the same through out life
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Most DNA is the same from person to person.(1)
DNA has many applications on the law enforcement fields on today’s crimes such as:
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Identify potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at crime scenes.
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Exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes
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Identify crime and catastrophe victims
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Establish paternity and other family relationships
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Identify endangered and protected species as an aid to wildlife officials
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Sexual assault or sex offender tracking
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Identify serial crimes. (3)
The first case that used DNA analysis was in “1987 in the Florida v. Andrews case, involving a sexual assault. Police in Orlando, Florida, suspected that one man was involved in over twenty cases of breaking and entering, prowling and attempted sexual assault”. By the use of DNA analysis justice was able to bring this perpetrator to a conviction in a court of law for the sexual crimes that he committed. This case was the first of its kind in the U.S. to bring a suspect to a conviction only on DNA profiling. (4)
Since about 1986 DNA testing has been used in approximately 50,000 criminal investigations in the U.S. alone. “DNA evidence is most often found in sexual assaults. About three-fourths of DNA evidence examined by the FBI and other labs consist of semen specimens. About a third of all FBI test exonerate wrongfully accused men. A quarter of the tests are inconclusive, and about 40% match the suspect’s profile. (1)
Most of the DNA analysis is performed in 50 or so federal, state and local police crime laboratories, which is often regarded as a prosecution tool. Certainly, when DNA is used in court and reported in the media it almost always is being used to prove the prosecutor’s case. However, it is important to remember that thousands of tests are performed annually which eliminate innocent persons and suspects. Due to new technology they have been able to reopen cases and free previously convicted and incarcerated individuals, some of whom have been in prison for up to thirteen years. DNA evidence is a powerful tool for justice to be used in both the prosecution and the defense to benefit us all. (4)
The unrealized potential of DNA technology is most evident in the area of crime scene investigation. Historically, forensic uses of DNA technology developed on a two part system. The first part was developed of a laboratory technology that was robust and reliable for application in the criminal justice system. The second part of the system was the application of DNA technology on the famous term called “admissibility wars.” Our system have previously used a significant amount of DNA technology towards the areas of our judicial systems instead of making it an even system by also providing a significant amount of dedicated training to law enforcement individuals, who are responsible for identifying, collecting, and preserving the evidence. This is a very crucial point on the start of preliminary investigations towards major cases. (2)
Our future towards DNA criminal investigations will evolve strongly based on the advent