Metrology, Jury Voir Dire and Scientific Evidence in Litigation

Attorneys should reconceptualize the individual jurors' voir dire when a case involves the presentation of scientific evidence. One of the attorney's objectives must be encouraging the jury's acceptance of scientific concepts and the scientific method as applied to forensic science. Although each case is decided based upon its facts and circumstances, the laws of nature and practice of good science are still applicable to the case. Scientific evidence is derived from a process governed by the scientific method. Forensic science is the application of science to law. Law enforcement agents extensively rely upon evidence couched in what are presented as scientific principles and technology in criminal prosecutions. All cases involving criminal charges generally entail some aspect of scientific evidence and forensic science. The discipline of criminalistics utilizes familiar laboratory techniques and procedures to solve crime but does not always do so scientifically. Forensic science is applicable to civil cases in certain instances. Forensic science is the most persuasive of all evidence. Jurors must be prepared to treat it as science and be given basic scientific tools to evaluate it by the attorneys in the case.