Abstract:
The forensic community has devoted much effort over the last decades to the development of a logical framework for forensic interpretation, which is essential for the safe administration of justice. We review the research and guidelines that have been published and provide examples of how to implement them in casework. After a discussion on uncertainty in the criminal trial and the roles that the DNA scientist may take, we present the principles of interpretation for evaluative reporting. We show how their application helps to avoid a common fallacy and present strategies that DNA scientists can apply so that they do not transpose the conditional. We then discuss the hierarchy of propositions and explain why it is considered a fundamental concept for the evaluation of biological results and the differences between assessing results given propositions that are at the source level or the activity level. We show the importance of pre-assessment, especially when the questions relate to the alleged activities, and when transfer and persistence need to be considered by the scientists to guide the court. We conclude with a discussion on statement writing and testimony. This provides guidance on how DNA scientists can report in a balanced, transparent, and logical way.
摘要:
在过去的几十年中,法医界投入了大量的精力来开发法医解释的逻辑框架,这对安全司法至关重要。我们回顾了已发布的研究和指南,并提供了如何在案例工作中实施它们的示例。在讨论了刑事审判中的不确定性和DNA科学家可能扮演的角色之后,我们提出了评估报告的解释原则。我们展示了它们的应用如何有助于避免常见的谬误,并提出了DNA科学家可以应用的策略,以便他们不会对条件进行转置。然后,我们讨论命题的层次结构,并解释为什么它被认为是评估生物学结果的基本概念,以及在源级别或活动级别评估给定命题的结果之间的差异。我们展示了预评估的重要性,尤其是当问题与所谓的活动有关时,当转移和坚持需要由科学家来指导法院的考虑。最后,我们讨论了陈述和证词。这为DNA科学家如何平衡地报告提供了指导,透明,逻辑的方式。