Archival Notice
This is an archive page that is no longer being updated. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function as originally intended.
The constitutional duty to disclose extends to exculpatory evidence defined as any material information within the prosecutor's possession or control that tends to negate the guilt of the suspect to the offense charged (e.g., a lab report which excludes the suspect as the source of DNA-related evidence or presents an inconclusive result) [California v. Trombetta, 467 U.S. 479 104 S.Ct. 2528; 81 L. Ed. 2d 413 (1984) citing Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83; 83 S.Ct. 1194; 10 L.Ed. 2d 215 (1963)]. The term "control" extends to exculpatory evidence in the possession of the police and including the state crime lab, even if the prosecution is unaware of its existence. Such reports should be disclosed to defense counsel irrespective of whether defense has requested such information or the prosecutor intends to use them at trial or considers the result relevant.
Additional Online Courses
- What Every First Responding Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Collecting DNA Evidence at Property Crime Scenes
- DNA – A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook
- Crime Scene and DNA Basics
- Laboratory Safety Programs
- DNA Amplification
- Population Genetics and Statistics
- Non-STR DNA Markers: SNPs, Y-STRs, LCN and mtDNA
- Firearms Examiner Training
- Forensic DNA Education for Law Enforcement Decisionmakers
- What Every Investigator and Evidence Technician Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court
- Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert
- Laboratory Orientation and Testing of Body Fluids and Tissues
- DNA Extraction and Quantitation
- STR Data Analysis and Interpretation
- Communication Skills, Report Writing, and Courtroom Testimony
- Español for Law Enforcement
- Amplified DNA Product Separation for Forensic Analysts