Source: http://bio3400.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch01/01_08-DNA_double_helix.jpg
Figure 6: This image provides a structural diagram of DNA. The double helix strand is
composed of nucleotide building blocks that consist of a phosphate group, deoxyribose
sugar and a complementary base pair.
Source:
https://www.neb.com/~/media/NebUs/Page%20Images/Applications/DNA%20Amplification%20and%
20PCR/pcr.jpg
Figure 7: This image provides an extremely comprehensive overview of the steps
involved in conducting PCR. The DNA Thermal Cycler provides the proper
environment in which enzymes can facilitate the exponential amplification of the
DNA sample.
Locus
Alleles
Genotypes
Heterozygosity
D18S51
FGA
D21S11
D8S1179
vWA
D7S820
D16S539
D13S317
TH01
D3S1358
CSF1PO
D5S818
TPOX
DYS391
22
27
27
11
11
11
9
8
8
11
9
9
9
7
93
96
86
46
39
32
28
29
24
30
31
34
28
7
0.8687
0.8745
0.8330
0.7992
0.8060
0.7944
0.7761
0.7674
0.7471
0.7519
0.7558
0.7297
0.6902
—
Probability of
Identity
0.0258
0.0308
0.0403
0.0558
0.0611
0.0726
0.0749
0.0765
0.0766
0.0915
0.1054
0.1104
0.1358
0.4758
Source: J.M. Butler, C.R. Hill and M.D. Coble, “Variability of New STR Loci and Kits in US Population
Groups,” Promega Corporation Website, http://www.promega.com/resources/profiles-indna/2012/variability-of-new-str-loci-and-kits-in-us-population-groups/, updated 2012, accessed Oct. 17,
2013. Table 1: This table is the abridged version of the STR loci compiled from Promega scientists. It contains only the loci utilized by CODIS in the FBI DNA database. The locus column refers to the particular STR loci within the human genome. The DYS391 is the locus that allows forensic geneticists to ascertain the gender of the sample’s owner. The probability of identity column provides the probability of that particular STR belonging to an individual. For each additional STR loci typed by the forensic expert, the probability of identities would be multiplied. Evidence
Baseball bat or similar
weapon
Hat, bandanna or mask
Eyeglasses
Facial tissue, cotton swab
Dirty laundry
Toothpick
Used cigarette
Stamp or envelope
Tape or ligature
Bottle, can, or glass
Used condom
“Through and through”
bullet
Bite mark
Fingernail, partial
fingernail
Possible Location of DNA on
the Evidence
Handle, end
Inside
Nose or ear pieces, lens
Surface area
Source of DNA
Sweat, skin, blood, tissue
Surface area
Tips
Cigarette butt
Licked area
Inside/outside surface
Sides, mouthpiece
Inside/outside surface
Outside surface
Sweat, hair, dandruff
Sweat, skin
Mucus, blood, sweat, semen, ear
wax
Blood, sweat, semen
Saliva
Saliva
Saliva
Skin, sweat
Saliva, sweat
Semen, vaginal or rectal cells
Blood, tissue
Person’s skin or clothing
Scrapings
Saliva
Blood, sweat, tissue
Source: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice as synthesized by Richard Saferstein,
“DNA: The Indispensable Forensic Science Tool,” in Criminalistics, (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2011), 286
Table 2: Potential sources of DNA that can be collected during a criminal investigation.
Source: http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNBLST.html
Figure 8: This image provides a simplistic drawing of the inside of a gun barrel.
Different combinations of lands, grooves and twists are employed by companies to
create a unique weapon.
Source: http://www.theegglestongroup.com/writing/bfprint/index.php
Figure 9: Side by side comparison of two different bullet samples. (Left) The
alignment of the striation marks suggests a match, indicating that the two bullets were
fired from the same weapon. (Right) The incongruities with the longitudinal lines
suggest that these bullets were not fired from the same gun.
NCIS, “One Shot, One Kill,” CBS, Feb. 10, 2004, written by Gil Grant, Television. Figure 10: Special Agent Kate Todd uses a pair of tweezers to extract the bullet from the
wall.
1960 1985 2008 2010 1960 1985 2008 2010 Criminal Cases in US District & Appellate Courts Pending @ start of Fiscal Filed Terminated Pending at end of Fiscal Year Year Not given 30,617 30,462 7,820 24,411 29,689 26,633 27,467 71,906 63,042 63,595 71,469 72,483 68,591 67,697 73,633 Criminal Defendants in US District & Appellate Courts Pending @ start of Fiscal Filed Terminated Pending at end of Fiscal Year Year NOT GIVEN 34,950 43,073 37,613 40,410 108,572 85,122 85,083 108,521 109,268 91,047 88,369 112,132 Table 3: This table summarizes the US Attorney Statistical Reports from 1960, 1985,
2008 and 2010. It quantifies the number of criminal cases tried in the United States
during the respective years as well as the number of individuals who were charged with
crimes.
Criminal cases filed % Change from previous year Criminal complaints received Criminal matters declined Cases terminated % Change from previous year Results of terminated cases 106,994 % Change from previous year 0.1 % â 1960 30,617 2.3 % â 69,931 30,462 1.5% â 1.82 % â 90,740 0.65 % â Not given 26,633 6.78%â 2008 63,043 cases 6.0 % á 155,774 32 % á 24,321 63,595 10%á (85,083 defendants) * only 4% of defendants went to trial 27,645 defendants-­‐
guilty plea 3,310 defendants guilty after trial 1,373 defendants found not guilty 24,792 defendants-­‐
guilty plea 4054 defendants guilty after trial 860 defendants found not guilty 92% conviction rate ¶82% of defendants sentenced to prison 1985 29,689 2010 68,591 cases 1 % á * in 2002, 56,658 cases were filed 166,836 3 % â * in 2002, 109,173 cases were received 26,479 67,697 (88369 defendants) *only 4% of cases went to trial against 85,122 defendants against 91,047 defendants 1% á ¶¶93% conviction rate 81% of defendants sentenced to prison Table 4: Summary of the US Attorney Statistical Reports from 1960, 1985, 2008 and
2010 containing a number of interesting facts highlighting the prosecutorial trends of the
United States Attorneys as well as the outcomes of these criminal proceedings.
¶ 75,145 defendants pled guilty before or during their trial; 2,995 defendants were found guilty and 82% of them received prison sentences. This represents a notable increase of people sent to jail since 1999. Of the 82% who received prison sentences: • 29.7% (19,077 people) received 61+ months • 21.8% (13,964 people) received 1-­‐12 months • 20.2 % (12,958 people) received 37-­‐60 months • 0.3% (215 people) received a life sentence • 3 people were sentenced to death ¶¶ The conviction rate of US Attorneys has remained above 90% since the year 2000. Of those convicted, 97% (79,260 people) entered a guilty plea either prior to or during trial. Of the • 27.0% (17,867 people) received 61+ months • 24.9% (16,470 people) received 1-­‐12 months • 19.6 % (12,956 people) received 37-­‐60 months • 0.3% (182 people) received a life sentence •
5 people were sentenced to death Disposition Criminal Cases in US District & Appellate Courts Total Terminated Guilty Not Guilty Dismissed 1960 1985 2008 2010 30,462 26,633 63,595 67,697 24,995 (81.8%) 20,542 (77.1%) 59,148 (93%) 63,405 (93.7%) Criminal Defendants in US District & Appellate* Courts Total Terminated Guilty Not Guilty Dismissed 1960 1985 2008 2010 37,066 37,613 85,083 88,369 29,751 (80.3%) 28,846 (76.7%) 78,140 (91.8%) 81,934 (92.7%) 830 (2.7%) 436 (1.6%) 278 (0.44%) 254 (0.38%) 1,228 (3.3%) 860 (2.3%) 521 (0.61%) 416 (0.47%) NOT GIVEN 2,211 (8.3%) 3,473 (5.5%) 3,395 (5.0%) 3,659 (9.9%) 3,599 (9.6%) 5,101 (6.0%) 4,842 (5.5%) Table 5: This summary of the US Attorney Statistical Reports from 1960, 1985, 2008
and 2010 provides the break down of verdicts obtained for criminal cases brought to the
attention of US Attorneys. The data contained within these tables shows that the number
of guilty verdicts has grown immensely over the years (with the exception of 1985).
These trends clearly refute the first hypothesis of the CSI Effect pertaining to the
increased burden on the prosecution.
* For the 1960 Fiscal Year, these numbers do not include the cases tried in front of The US Appellate Court **Incidents that are classified as other constitute the remaining percent Figure 11: This graph was obtained from the 2008 US Attorney Statistical
Report. It shows the increased frequency with which jail sentences accompanied a
guilty verdict. Although there was a noticeable decrease in the percent of guilty
people sentenced to jail, the overall increase since 1999 is suggestive of a cultural
mindset that jail is an appropriate punishment for the guilty.