The Forensic Statistical Tool used by crime labs is not scientifically sound
New York - A once-lauded DNA analysis program is so flawed that its evidence should not be admissible in trials, a former lab manager testified last week.
Dr. Eli Shapiro, a retired DNA testing trainer at the beleaguered city Office of Chief Medical Examiner, said the program, called The Forensic Statistical Tool, is not scientifically sound.
The main problem is that mixed DNA samples from crime scenes are often degraded or too small, making it difficult to separate out a single person’s DNA.
The program produces probabilities — based on guesstimates — and does not account for other potential curveballs, Shapiro said.
“I don’t think that is the job of the DNA analysis to make a lot of assumptions,” Shapiro testified Thursday at a hearing in the Manhattan Supreme Court case of accused robber and burglar William Rodriguez.
Shapiro, who left the medical examiner’s office in 2011, said he was “concerned about the idea that a (FST) analysis is exonerating people and determining guilt or innocence."
His testimony is part of a major challenge brought by the Legal Aid Society over the Forensic Statistical Tool and testing that involves small amounts of DNA.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/reputable-dna-program-slammed-ex-lab-manager-article-1.1361345
RELATED: 'LEADERSHIP MUST CHANGE' AT CITY'S DNA LAB: REPORT
People v. Garcia and low template DNA (LT-DNA):
http://for-sci-law-now.blogspot.com/2013/05/people-v-garcia-and-low-template-dna-lt.html
Forensic software resources website:
http://www.isfg.org/Software