U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated. Please refer to the Department of Justice’s contingency plan for more information.

Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court

Statistical Interpretation of the Evidence

Home  |  Glossary  |  Resources  |  Help  |  Contact Us  |  Course Map
 

Typically there are three possible laboratory outcomes:

  1. If the DNA profiles from the evidentiary and known samples are consistent at each locus, laboratory analysts can interpret this finding as a "match""inclusion", or "failure to exclude."
  2. If the two profiles are not consistent at each locus, the finding can be interpreted as a "nonmatch" or "exclusion."
  3. If there are insufficient data to support a conclusion, the finding is often referred to as "inconclusive."

For a review of the laboratory interpretation of DNA evidence, refer to Module 6.

Back Forward