The Role and Impact of Forensic Evidence on the Criminal Justice Process

This research study is a supplement to the NIJ 'Role and Impact of Forensic Evidence in the Criminal Justice Process' Project (2006-DN-BX-0094) already being conducted by Cal State University, Los Angeles. This new supplemental award has four primary objectives: 1) Describe and evaluate the results of new scientific tests conducted by the private laboratories; 2) Review the sexual assault literature, describe the characteristics of cases leading to the backlogged sexual assault kits, and define the primary criteria used by investigators in deciding to request analysis of the kits; 3) Determine the investigative/judicial outcomes of sexual assault investigations for cases with immediate testing, where there was delayed testing, and where no testing was conducted; and 4) Identify those principal case and evidence characteristics that will enable investigators and forensic examiners to prioritize evidence submitted to forensic laboratories in the future. ca/ncf