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Microscopic Hair Analysis Errors

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Microscopic Hair Analysis Errors
For twenty-five years, the FBI instructed courses involving scientifically flawed information that the FBI examiners mentioned in lab reports and trial testimonies. The FBI mentioned that about ninety percent of microscopic hair analysis reviews contained erroneous statements. In fact, FBI agents’ testimonies have contained erroneous statements, as well as their submitted lab reports. The National Association of Criminal Justice Defense Lawyers (NACDL) objective was to address statements containing errors about microscopic hair analysis in testimonies or lab reports.
It was mentioned in the report, that the FBI started employing mitochondrial DNA hair analysis and microscopic analysis to help them throughout the process. Mitochondrial DNA testing is the process used to analyze hair in criminal case. However, before this came about, prosecutors relied on microscopic hair comparison in order to link a suspect to a crime. It was mentioned that mitochondrial DNA testing is too expensive or time consuming. The FBI wanted all affected defendants to be notified about the errors, as well as know that their justice will come. The concern of the FBI agents was why it took so long for this issue to surface and it started almost four decades ago. In order to limit the exaggeration of report …show more content…
Reasoning for this, was that three men were convicted by three different FBI hair examiners whose testimony was scientifically flawed. Most of FBI testimonies were provided in state court prosecutions. Both the FBI and the Department of Justice reviewed cases that involved microscopic hair comparison linking a defendant to a crime. In fact, they reviewed cases in both federal and state court systems. However, they didn’t involve cases conducted by state and local crime labs. The FBI provided DNA testing for no charge if there was a request for testing by the
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