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DNA Exoneration Case Study

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Statement of the Problem DNA has become a vital part of criminal investigations. DNA can include and exclude suspects of criminal investigations. During a criminal investigation, all DNA should be collected, properly preserved and tested, but at times this does not occur or the technology was not available for this process to occur. In addition, DNA has become an imperative portion of exoneration cases. However, with Texas and Illinois having the greatest amount of exonerations in the United States, according to data from the CBS News team (CBS News, 2014, para. 5), states the initial use of DNA was not held to standards or technology was advanced. DNA has impacted the exonerations in Texas and Illinois, among other states. According to the article Study of DNA data shows potential for wrongful convictions written in the Richmond Times, a study was conducted which shared the results of approximately 6 percent of people convicted in the past 15 years could be innocent as the result of DNA testing not being available at that time (Green, 2012, para. 1). This research is significant to the criminal justice system. Victims of violent crime deserve justice and convicting the wrong person is not only injustice for the victim, but for the one is being wrongfully convicted. …show more content…

As stated earlier, Texas and Illinois have a higher number of exonerations (CBS News, 2014, para. 5), but how many are due to DNA? Some of the areas that will be covered in this research are listed as below: 1. Was DNA beneficial to the exonerations of Texas and Illinois? 2. How is the DNA handled differently during the exoneration process than the initial case? 3. Was there a particular DNA testing, the type of DNA or procedure that was used more often than others in the

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