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

Category 2

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

In these cases in which biological evidence was collected and still exists, DNA results could support a claim of innocence, but reasonable disagreement could exist whether the results exonerate the petitioner.

Example: Petitioner was convicted of a homicide. The prosecution presented evidence and argued in closing that blood on a shirt found at petitioner's home came from the victim. Standard ABO blood typing had revealed a match between the sample and the victim's blood type. DNA testing that excludes the victim as a source of the bloodstains might be helpful to the petitioner's claim, yet not establish innocence.

Back Forward