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Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert

Challenges Within the Discipline

An expert should be aware of any prior successful challenges in the discipline, and any subsequent remedies (e.g., additional research, or successful legal rulings).

The attorney may need to be informed of nonforensic uses of the technology to show how accepted the technology is in the broader community (e.g., DNA for disease research, or toxicology for identifying drugs in noncrime scenarios). Technological advancements can be emphasized.

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