All That Glitters Isn't Gold (Essays‪)‬

The increasing use of DNA evidence has revolutionized criminal investigations. Over the past several years, DNA forensics--once thought to be a less reliable identifier than other forensic techniques, such as latent fingerprinting--have now become the evidentiary gold standard in criminal prosecutions. At the same time, non-DNA-based forensic techniques that have incarcerated thousands are coming under fire. The policy implications of this shifting dynamic--what Michael Lynch and colleagues call an "inversion of credibility" (1)--can be most clearly seen in the National Research Council's 2009 report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward. Conducted at Congress's request by a highly esteemed committee, this report--over three hundred pages--assesses the current state of forensic science.