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Likelihood ratios for lawyers…I didn't go to law school for this!
Author(s) -
Valerio Raymond
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: forensic science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2573-9468
DOI - 10.1002/wfs2.1366
Subject(s) - jurisprudence , forensic science , law , genotyping , psychology , political science , biology , genetics , genotype , gene
With the proliferation of probabilistic genotyping software in forensic DNA analysis, prosecutors are faced with the challenge of understanding complex statistical conclusions and their corresponding meanings. Unlike many scientists, lawyers rarely learn statistics in college or law school; statistics are neither a subject on state bar examinations nor a topic in any core continuing legal education course. Therefore, when faced with complicated DNA comparison statistics, prosecutors may unknowingly present misleading—or even incorrect—arguments to the fact finder. In this primer, I explain how to fairly argue probabilistic genotyping statistics in forensic DNA analysis. This article is categorized under: Jurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Communication Across Science and Law Forensic Biology > Ethical and Social Implications Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies Jurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Interdisciplinary Collaboration