Overview
In 1987 DNA was first used as evidence in criminal investigations (Pitchfork and Andrews). There are now hundreds of government and private DNA laboratories in the United States, many of which do only forensic work for law enforcement agencies. The work of these forensic DNA labs is generally of two types: (1) casework on pending criminal cases and (2) classification of DNA samples taken from persons convicted of certain serious offenses.
(1) Discuss the evolution of the various DNA technologies that have been used in criminal cases starting from the Pitchfork and Andrews cases up to the present day. (2) What are some of the specific improvements in the technology? (3) Identify at least three challenges that many DNA laboratories face today in criminal cases. (4) What steps could be taken today to address these challenges and why those steps might help address the problems the laboratories are facing?
The assignment should be no longer than 4-5 pages doubled space in 12-point type not including the cover page and cited outside sources. Submit your paper as a Word document using the assignment link provided. Remember, your submission must be in APA 7th edition formatting with a cover page, a reference page, properly formatted references, and properly formatted in-text citations. If you use anyone's ideas or are delivering facts, you should support it with a scholarly citation or some reference as to where it came from. Every reference you use at the end of any paper should have a corresponding in-text citation.