The Impact of DNA on Forensic Science

What major advancement in forensic science occurred in the late 1980s?

• Lie detector tests

• DNA testing

• Fingerprint analysis

• Ballistics analysis

What was the primary evidence used to convict Kirk Odum?

• Microscopic hair analysis

• Eyewitness testimony

• DNA evidence

• Fingerprint analysis

What new technology emerged in the mid-1990s that revolutionized forensic science?

• Ballistics analysis

• Lie detector tests

• DNA testing

• Fingerprint analysis

What percentage of the time did mitochondrial DNA show that hairs thought to be identical actually came from different people?

• 11%

• 5%

• 20%

• 25%

Who was the FBI hair and fiber expert that came under fire for flawed testimony?

• Kirk Odum

• Peter Neufeld

• Michael Malone

• Max Ha

What organization has been using DNA analysis to retest crime scene evidence and free wrongly convicted prisoners?

• The FBI

• The Innocence Project

• Interpol

• The National Institute of Justice

By 2012, what fraction of the more than 300 people exonerated by DNA had been convicted in part by hair analysis?

• One-third

• One-quarter

• One-half

• Three-quarters

What did the FBI begin to do after realizing the issues with hair analysis testimony?

• Train new forensic experts

• Review thousands of old cases

• Stop using hair analysis

• Develop new forensic techniques

What was the outcome for Kirk Odum after DNA testing of the crime scene evidence?

• He received a reduced sentence

• He was exonerated

• He was given a new trial

• He was found guilty again

What broader goal does improving forensic science aim to achieve?

• Speed up the trial process

• Increase the number of convictions

• Reduce the cost of investigations

• Make the system more reliable and just