Current Issues in Forensic Science - Essay Example

This is essential because it ensures the integrity of forensic science before proceeding to the court. Even though the clinical laboratories have been working based on the national regulatory scheme since 1968, forensic science does not a similar scheme (Neufeld, 2005, p. 107). Consequently, this has reduced the level of protection for the evidence and measures to investigate, and address the discovered abuses (Moore, 2007, p. 127). Quality assurance is an important concept that should be considered during crime investigations because most criminal trials depend on expert testimony. Consequently, mistakes in expert testimony pose several challenges. The use of forensic science when investigating different criminal incidences is not reliable because it offers invalid results. Additionally, the process is biased because it lacks enough internal control for the evidence (Birkhead & Hosken, 2009, p. 575).

Semen quality assurance refers to the test conducted in the crime laboratories using the victims’ semen to determine whether the victims were involved in the crime or not. Currently, there are different methods used in the measurement of semen quality assurance. The most applicable methods include serology and DNA typing (Higgins, 2009, p. 45). These methods can be applied in a criminal case to determine whether the suspect is responsible. The case affects an 8-year-old girl who was sleeping when an intruder invaded her room. The intruder entered the girl’s house using a bathroom window and raped her. After the intruder had left the house, the girl summoned the police. The police interviewed the girl and collected her underpants which were stained with semen. Furthermore, the girl’s bed sheets with scattered hair were also collected. After the victim described the perpetrator, the police came up with a sketch that resembled the suspect. The victim identified the suspect as the rapist once they got to his hideout (Neufeld, 2005, p. 107). Serology can determine the victim’s semen through the quality assurance approach. This can support the prosecutor when securing a conviction. The lab serologist will take the girl’s body fluid found in the semen and test whether they match the accused blood type. Scientific standards discourage serologists from drawing inferences about the semen’s source when they are not sure though this method is commonly used when investigating crimes (Ishmael, 2005, p. 13).

Based on the case, crime laboratories can use the DNA typing method to match whether the semen recovered from the girl’s underpants match the DNA profile of the suspect. This criminal investigation process is not reliable because DNA experts state that only 20% of the total violent crimes benefit from the evidence resulting from DNA testing. This is because most of the forensic discipline applying the DNA method lacks the needed scientific dimensions that support the performance standards (Jeyendran, 2003, p. 127). It is essential to consider the application of good forensic science in the DNA typing method. This is because forensic scientists discovered lab misconduct in arresting, indicting and convicting an innocent person. Criminal cases that include forensic science investigations should take meaningful precautions to guard against meaningless science and unreliable results (Bjorndahl, Mortimer, & David, 2009, p. 17). Forensic scientists should ensure that before they walk into the courtroom to present their results, the opposing counsel should review the results vigorously. Additionally, there are instances when a forensic scientist makes errors in their results. This could be avoidable when the courtroom cross-examines the results and exposes the errors during the trial (World Health Organization, 2010, p. 111). Additionally, DNA testing is significant in different types of incidences such as homicide, rape, sexual assaults and other criminal cases.

The field of forensic science needs additional research. This is because criminals could not be convicted of their crimes without the use of science (Sidebottom, 2008). This would mean a world where murderers continue stealing and drug traffickers persist with their illegal deals. This implies that additional research in forensic science is vital in solving crimes.