Autopsy of a Crime Lab

Exposing the Flaws in Forensics

Brandon L. Garrett

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English

University of California Press
23 March 2021

Forensic science; Criminology: legal aspects; Civil procedure: law of evidence; Criminal law & procedure

This book exposes the dangerously imperfect forensic evidence that we rely on for criminal convictions.

""That's not my fingerprint, your honor,"" said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a ""100-percent identification."" They were wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100 percent certainty about a fingerprint, when there is no such thing as a 100 percent match? Where is the quality control in the laboratories and at the crime scenes? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods?

Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners.

By: Brandon L. Garrett
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780520379336
ISBN 10: 0520379330
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 23 March 2021
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Part I The Crisis in Forensics Introduction 1. The Bite Mark Case 2. The Crisis in Forensics Part II Flawed Forensics 3. False ID 4. Error Rates 5. Overstatement 6. Qualifications 7. Hidden Bias 8. The Gatekeepers Part III Failed Labs 9. Failed Quality Control 10. Crime Scene Contamination Part IV The Movement to Fix Forensics 11. The Rebirth of the Lab 12. Big Data Forensics 13. Fixing Forensics Acknowledgments Appendix Notes Index

Brandon L. Garrett is the L. Neil Williams Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, where he directs the Wilson Center for Science and Justice. His previous books include Convicting the Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong, Too Big to Jail: How Prosecutors Compromise with Corporations, and End of Its Rope: How Killing the Death Penalty Can Revive Criminal Justice.

Reviews for Autopsy of a Crime Lab: Exposing the Flaws in Forensics

Autopsy of a Crime Lab offers in its form as well as its content a convincing argument against the current state of forensic science, as well as promising solutions for the way forward. This book would be an excellent resource for academics but would also be a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn more about the problems inherent within forensics. * True Crime Index *