Uniting forensics, law, and social science in meaningful and relevant ways, Forensic Science and the Administration of Justice is structured around current research on how forensic evidence is being used and how it is impacting the justice system. This unique book—written by nationally known scholars in the field—includes five sections that explore the demand for forensic services, the quality of forensic services, the utility of forensic services, post-conviction forensic issues, and the future role of forensic science in the administration of justice. The authors offer policy-relevant directions for both the criminal justice and forensic fields and demonstrate how the role of the crime laboratory in the American justice system is evolving in concert with technological advances as well as changing demands and competing pressures for laboratory resources.

The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Criminal Justice: Evidence from Case Processing Studies

The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Criminal Justice: Evidence from Case Processing Studies

The impact of forensic evidence on criminal justice: Evidence from case processing studies
SallyKelty, RobertaJulian, and RobertHayes

Introduction

Reliance on forensic evidence (FE) in police investigations and court trials has increased rapidly over the past 20 years. Traditionally, FE was used mainly to corroborate evidence (Bradbury & Feist, 2005); however, FE is increasingly becoming influential in focusing the direction of police investigations (Julian, Kelty, & Robertson, 2012) and in exonerating the innocent (Sangha, Roach, & Moles, 2010). The increased use of FE in investigations and the courts is evident in the fourfold increase over 40 years in the number of forensic laboratories and the rapid growth in more sophisticated techniques to analyze FE (Peterson et ...

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