DNA Dependability

After serving twenty-five years in prison for a murder he did not commit, a man walks free with tears of joy running down his face as he embraces his wife and children. A scene like this could appear in a movie, but it really happens. Wrongful convictions bring grief to families emotionally and financially. The leading technique for overturning convictions is through DNA testing. However, is DNA dependable enough to be used as evidence to secure convictions?

Can DNA be trusted to speak the truth? Certain scientists from Israel do not believe so after finding that DNA can be fabricated by using two different techniques. The first technique, whole genome amplification, takes a very small sample of DNA and amplifies it to a much larger quantity. The other technique uses DNA profiles and snippets that represent variants at specific spots. These profiles are stored in law enforcement databases and use numbers and letters to correspond to the different variations. Does this mean DNA is totally unreliable? Fortunately, Dr. Frumkin, founder of the company Nucleix, has developed a way to test if a DNA sample is real or fake. Each technique uses amplified DNA, and amplified DNA is not methylated. Therefore, it lacks specific attached molecules at certain points that would signify true DNA (Pollack).

Even though it is technically possible for criminals to fabricate DNA, it is not likely that the average criminal would be able to perform these techniques. Also, whole genome amplification can actually help in measuring the risk of getting certain hereditary diseases and developing drugs against viruses (Pollack). In fact, the only people not receiving benefit, other than the criminals themselves, are those who have fallen victim to wrongful conviction. The reason for this is that some states deny access to post-conviction DNA testing because it is not readily available, and can be costly. It may not seem reasonable for so many innocent people to be in jail but because the use of DNA is somewhat new and the United States seems to encourage the use of plea bargains in its justice system, it is very possible for a number of innocent people to be imprisoned. On the bright side, however, the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 has allowed federal authorities to collect samples from everyone they have arrested or detained since. Because of this, the NDIS, the FBI's national DNA database, has been able to use profiles in the database to match biological evidence with unsolved crimes, leading to many arrests and convictions ("Hidden Evidence").

DNA has been very helpful and has paved the way for many advancements in science. Its accuracy has lead to the solving of many crimes and previously unsolved cases. Even though it may be possible to fabricate DNA, there are ways to tell the difference between valid and false DNA. The reason for disallowing post-conviction tests may not be just the money. It is possible that there is a fear in revealing truths about how well the justice system has used DNA in the courtroom, and how many people have actually been wrongfully convicted. DNA has been such an importance to scientists that it should not be discredited. To eliminate doubts of dependability, there needs to be a deeper public understanding of DNA's capabilities. To abolish the DNA debate, the courts and the public need to recognize that a conviction cannot be based solely on a piece of DNA evidence, but should aid in sentencing a suspected individual after looking at facts and hearing testimony.

Works Cited

"Hidden evidence." Economist 392.8642 (Aug. 2009): 25. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. 23 Sep. 2009

4&site=ehost-live>.

Pollack, Andrew. "DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show." New York Times (18

Aug. 2009): 3. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. 23 Sep. 2009 tsuproxy.trine.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=43737663&site=ehost-live>.