Many disciplines in forensic science, like ballistics, bite marks, even fingerprint analysis, are not based on peer reviewed science. The forensic science community does not have the resources or sometimes the desire to conduct this type of research. Most disturbing, many forensic scientist disciplines lack a culture of science. Too often, the conclusions that are reached are subjective and lack scientific validation and standards, thus, forensics comes under question. Without properly...
More DescriptionMany disciplines in forensic science, like ballistics, bite marks, even fingerprint analysis, are not based on peer reviewed science. The forensic science community does not have the resources or sometimes the desire to conduct this type of research. Most disturbing, many forensic scientist disciplines lack a culture of science. Too often, the conclusions that are reached are subjective and lack scientific validation and standards, thus, forensics comes under question. Without properly analyzing evidence, it's hard for law enforcement people to apprehend, prosecute criminals, and it's more likely that our system will wrongfully convict people who are, in fact, innocent. More research and better standards are needed in forensic science. To be credible, this work needs to be performed by scientific experts outside of the law enforcement culture.