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An expert can follow key steps to avoid the pitfalls of selective fact gathering or fact presentation:
- Keep an open mind.
- Do not approach a case with predetermined conclusions about causation, culpability, fault or damage.
- Remember that attorneys and others may come to the lab or expert with facts that may be slanted, either accidentally or intentionally.
- Carefully follow well-established investigative steps, protocols and standards of procedure.
- Apply forms, procedures and processes that will ensure that no evidence is overlooked.
- Observe all professional ethical guidelines.
- Recognize the expert's vital role in the criminal justice and dispute resolution process.
The causes for adverse trial results from selective or inadequate fact investigation may be due to:
- Attorney oversight in failing to ask the right questions of the right parties.
- Misstatements of fact by parties because of faulty recollection, lack of appreciation of the significance of facts, or intentional nondisclosure of facts (i.e., lying).
- Inadequate investigation by the expert due to:
- Failure to test and explore evidence fully.
- Lack of proper direction, inadequate time, or lack of equipment.
- Inadequate direction pursued by attorney or other parties.
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