DNA Testing and the Conviction of Criminals Essay -- Exploratory Essay

DNA Testing and the Conviction of Criminals There have been many incidents where cases have needed a solid prosecution in order to convict the defendant in a murder or rape case. This is where DNA Testing comes in to help. By taking a DNA test, a person can be found guilty or not guilty. If a person claims they have been raped there can be a sperm sample taken from the suspect in order to prove that he is guilty or not. In addition, in a murder case there can be blood taken from the suspect so they can tell of his innocence. There are several ways to determine whether a person is guilty or not by this method. Many cases have begun to use this method saying that it is foolproof. People say this is the method of the future of crime scene investigation. DNA Testing is a foolproof way to prove whether a criminal is innocent or guilty. I believe in order to be able to DNA Test I have to know what DNA is in the first place. According to the National Institute of Justice DNA is "the primary carrier of genetic information in living organisms, consists of a very long spiral structure that has been likened to a 'twisted ladder"(1997). The handrails of this ladder are made up of bases, which are nucleic acids. These nucleic acids combine to form pairs, which then creates nucleotides. These pairs create the genetic code of DNA (National Institute of Justice, 1997). The National Institute claims that these nucleic acids combine to form pairs, which then creates nucleotides. These pairs create the genetic code of DNA (1999). The four nucleic acids are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine (All About DNA, 1998). Many people cannot necessarily always rely on fingerprints. DNA evidence is the method of the future. Crimes will be sol... ... National Institute of Justice: Research in Action. (1998). The Unrealized Potential of DNA Testing. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. National Institute of Justice: Research Preview. (1997). Automated DNA Typing: Method of the Future? Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Robertson, J., Ross, A.M., & Burgoyne, L.A. (Eds.). (1990). DNA in forensic science: theory, techniques, and applications. England: Ellis Howard Limited. Stevens, M., (2002, May). Do fingerprints lie? Retrieved April 8, 2004, from http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/ ?020527 fa_ FACT What every law enforcement officer should know about DNA evidence. (1999,September). Retrieved April 18, 2004, from http://www.ncjrs.org/nij/DNAbro/evi.html Wright, R. (1999). James Watson and Francis Crick. Time Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2004, from http://www.time.com/