CLPEX Chat Board

Arrest in '81 crime brings some relief

http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/512177.html

Here's a quote from the attorney of the defendant:

Dilbert's attorney, Herb Smith, hopes to challenge the fingerprint match in court. Who's to say the fingerprint examiner didn't make a mistake? Smith argues.

''These people do make errors,'' he said. ``How bad? We don't know. But fingerprints aren't science like DNA is.''

Aaahhhh---the myth of DNA. That quote reminded me of a case where I had made an identification on a cold case and later after they arrested the guy the detective called me up and informed me that the subject's DNA matched and that the DNA confirmed my indivdulization (identification for dinosaurs).

I laughed all day and everytime I think about it a smile crosses my face. The DNA confirmed my ID. I think it is nice when Science confirms an analyst's guess.

They want to read about bad DNA, they should read up on a couple of large labs here in Texas where the DNA Labs was shut down.