According to the Innocence Project fact sheet, there have been 240 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States. As you may imagine, a large number of these exonerations are due to improper forensic science techniques. Many State Crime labs are coming under scrutiny for using poor DNA testing methods. Others forensic scientists and expert witnesses have engaged in misconduct which has led to wrongful convictions.

The most recent DNA forensic laboratory under scrutiny is the Houston, Texas crime lab. I read a Houston Chronicle article which discusses the potential misconduct of crime lab analyst, Joseph Chu, during the muder trial of Charles D. Raby. Chu testified on forensic DNA test results of nail scrapings of the victim, saying they were inconclusive. Multiple experts have stated that Chu's testimony is inconsistent with the forensic DNA analysis.

In the case of Charles D. Raby, it appears that this man's conviction was based largely on the expert testimony of Joseph Chu. This is one man's opinion, albeit expert. The defense should have had the forensic dna analyzed by their own independent laboratory.

When insanity cases are argued in court, the suspect gets psychoanalyzed by two phsycologists. One of then represents the prosecution, and one testifies for the defense. They both describe their findings, and the jury decides who's story is more credible. Why is it that the jury accepts the prosecution's expert witness testimony as fact without considering that an independent forensic dna testing laboratory may report different findings?

DNA testing in criminal cases is becoming an extremely powerful tool which can be used to convict or acquit a suspect in a crime. Widely used in rape cases, DNA testing can show how many perpetrators were involved in a crime. DNA technicians are able to isolate separate profiles and determine the number of contributors. In one specific case in Alaska, the Supreme Court found denied convicted rapist, William Osborne, the right to post-conviction DNA testing.

Osborne is willing to pay for the testing, so it's obvious he believes the testing will prove his DNA will not be found on whatever evidence sample was found. In this case the evidence is a used condom. This case brings up two questions in my mind. First, why didn't Osborne get DNA testing during the trial? Second, will DNA testing prove his innocence, or simply that he wasn't the one wearing the condom?

Without full case data in front of me I can only make assumptions based on editorials and blog posts I've read. Comments from a San Fransisco Chronicle article say that DNA testing was done in the trial. However, the trial was about 15 years ago, and was not as sophisticated as today's technology. The defense opted to withdraw from further testing because they believed it would help convict their client. Now, 15 years later, it appears that they've changed their minds. I can understand that, because old DNA technology tended to result in many false inclusions.

The second question is will the testing prove Osborne's innocence? Vigilant Antis has an entry that shows Mr. Osborne isn't a first time offender. The rape allegedly involved more than one perpetrator. In this case, the DNA evidence sample is a used condom, worn by one of the perpetrators. Osborne cannot be eliminated as a suspect simply because he wasn't the individual wearing that condom. There's a chance he didn't leave DNA evidence behind. DNA evidence needs to be combined with all other forms of evidence to determine a finding.

In this case, Osborne is willing to pay for the DNA testing, so I see no reason for the court to deny him of it. If the court believes Osborne was the one wearing the condom during the rape, then DNA testing could exclude him from that.

Kenneth Brooks wrote a very informative post on the topic. He believes the courts have stripped Osborne of his inalienable rights. Read his post: Supreme Court DNA Testing decision is a concern.

This Washington Post article gives some good background information on the case, and Osborne.

In today's world, everybody wants things to be easy. They want pizzas delivered, pre-made meals, and full-service everything. Individuals don't want to walk or drive far to do anything, and DNA paternity testing is no different.

Families in need used to drive 100 miles to a DNA collection center for an appointment. That doesn't work anymore. Competition has forced DNA labs to differentiate their service. Some have done that by lowering price, while others have improved service. This is all great for the customer.

Our office in Manhattan is conveniently located near Penn Station. It can be accessed from every borough in New York City by every train going though Manhattan. Clients come from all boroughs to be seen by our on-site physician. But now, we're seeing clients who want collection facilities in their own borough instead of taking a 30 minute train ride to Manhattan. The customer is always right, so we try to do what's best for her.

The point of this entry is to let you know that you should be able to find a DNA testing center within 15 miles of your home. You can call a trusted DNA testing company, and if they know what they're doing, they'll have a network of facilities ready to take your DNA sample. If the company doesn't have a collection site in your area there are other labs that do.

If you don't want to leave your house there are DNA labs who will send collectors right to your home. This is the ultimate  in confidentiality and convenience.

Earlier this week I did an in-home collection in a mother's living room. She was watching Maury Povich while I collected the DNA samples. Isn't that ironic.

According to NBC Bay Area News, A 47 Year old woman has stepped forward and claimed that her father is the Zodiac killer. Deborah Perez, now 47, believes her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson, is responsible for between five and 36 killings pinned on the infamous Zodiac killer. Forensic experts claim DNA evidence links Ms. Perez to the killings. A San Fransisco Citizen Blog gives an overview of this case.

Apparently, the DNA evidence is on a few of the envelopes of the letters written by the Zodiac, which Perez assisted in writing. I question how much DNA evidence exists in this case.

Keep in mind these murders occured in the 60's and 70's when DNA evidence didn't exist. The police weren't looking around for traces of DNA to send off to the state crime lab for testing.

How were these envelopes preserved? Granted, DNA remains viable for long periods when it's stored properly(dry and at room temperature or a bit cooler), but how many people touched these envelopes? Were they wearing gloves? Is there any chain of custody showing who touched the evidence samples?

I am not an expert on the Zodiac killings, but the DNA aspect interests me. The killer may be responsible for as many as 36 killings. How many will DNA link him to? If no DNA evidence was found at the actual crime scenes, then can you really tie all the crimes to the Zodiac based on a few cryptic letters? ZodiacKiller.com appears to follow the case extremely closely, and does not give Ms. Perez's claims any merit. Another website focused on the Zodiac murders has in-depth information about the case.

If DNA is extracted from evidence samples, experts can use paternity testing yo prove a relationship if Hendrickson is the biological father of Perez.

Hopefully the forensic experts working with Ms. Perez will come out with some more details about this case.

Paternity testing, unfortunately, is a laughing matter for most people. When I tell my friends and family what I do, they snicker and say, "Who's Your Daddy?" or "Baby Mama Drama". I think its the publicity from the Maury Povich Show and other daytime television programs that puts paternity testing in the light of entertainment. Povich preps men for the show, and they come on stage and rant about how a baby looks nothing like them, or how the mother has been with every guy in the zip code. Here's an interesting rant about Maury Povich paternity tests.

In the real world, paternity testing is nothing like what you see on Maury. Fathers call us because they have genuine uncertainty or a court order. Most times they care deeply for the child and mother. Mothers and significant others of potential fathers call us because they have doubts about the child's paternity. Mothers call us because they need proof to show the father, or to eliminate their own uncertainty.

Paternity testing isn't about shoving a result in a mother's face and laughing because the baby isn't his. It's not about how many guys a mother has been with, or how a baby doesn't have the same shaped nose as the father. Paternity testing is about peace of mind.

The LATimes Blog wrote an entry about paternity testing for fathers day, so I wanted to follow up. There are lots of DNA labs doing special promotions for Father's Day. Genelex is offering 10% off of theirs. We've come up with a promotion of our own.

Email us your story. Tell us why you want a paternity test. We'll read through the entries and the most deserving will receive a free legal paternity test. The winner will be announced on June 19, two days before father's day. Check out our DNA promotions page for additional offers.

Our goal is to give families, and fathers peace of mind for Father's Day.

Ask any immigrant to describe the process they are going through to bring a loved one to the U.S. They will choose lots of decriptive words when discussing the paperwork, pricing, Embassy employees, and the waiting, and "convenient" will not be one of the words they will use. The immigration process is far from convenient, but a DNA test doesn't have to be. Experienced AABB accredited immigration DNA testing labs will make the entire process convenient and easy for the client. Here's three ways a DNA lab will make the process convenient.

1. The DNA Collection - If you ned to travel more than 30 miles to a collection facility you either live in the sticks, or the DNA lab is not making it convenient for you. The DNA testing industry has become significantly more competitive in the past 5 years, and immigration DNA labs are working harder than ever to set themselves apart by providing excellent service. Many have affiliate collection sites throughout the country. Others promise to schedule the DNA collection in the clients home, at their convenience.
2. Tracking - Since DNA samples are being shipped back and forth between countries, tracking becomes a major factor in completing an immigration DNA test. The lab chosen should provide all needed tracking numbers and shipping information so the case is easily monitored.
3. Results - DNA test for immigration results must be sent directly from the laboratory to U.S. immigration services. Your lab should also send a copy to you for reference. Having your own copy of the results will allow you to show proof that the test was completed should the Embassy claim they didn't receive the results.

When it comes to the family-based immigration process, you can expect a difficult and often drawn out process. When it comes time to take a DNA test for immigration, expect convenience and simplicity from the lab you choose.

There are lots of DNA labs out there, and each has their own DNA test report. Our lab is no different. The laboratory releases thousands of paternity test results each year, Results come in two pages. The first has the statistics, and the second has the explanation. Since the paternity testing procedure is extremely technical, the explanation of the results can be confusing. Hopefully this post will clarify how the results of a standard paternity test are presented.

If you take a look at the picture of the sample paternity test results, you'll see a bunch of statistics in the form of a spreadsheet. Click the link to view a clearer picture.

DNA Paternity Test Results

The first column reads "Genetic Marker". The column lists the 16 genetic markers that are compared in the paternity test. To learn more about genetic markers, check out my post, "What is a Genetic Marker".

The next column reads "Child", and has two columns below it; Allele A and Allele B. The child receives one Allele from his father and one from his mother. Please notice I said his. Take a look at the 14th genetic marker, "AMEL". This is the genetic marker for sex. You'll notice that the child has an "X" for allele A and a "Y" in allele B. This means the child is a male. All males have a "Y" allele for AMEL. If there were a blank space for allele B, then the child is a female. For any genetic marker where allele B is empty, the individual is considered homozygous. This means the individual received the same allele from both parents.

Each genetic marker from the Child is compared to that of the Alleged Father. Each comparison results in a number, called the Paternity Index. The paternity index is based on the probability of the two individuals sharing that genetic marker. The number is based on an intricate scientific logarithm derived from population sampling.

Now for the part you're probably interested in. Is the father actually the father? To get this answer, look at the bottom of the spreadsheet for the field labeled Probability of Paternity.

In this case, the probability of paternity is >99.999%. It is extremely likely that John is the father of John Jr. If John was not the father, the Probability of Paternity would read 0%

Also take a look at the field above Probability of Paternity labeled Combined Paternity Index. In this case, the combined paternity index is 1,240,000. This shows extremely strong support for the relationship. The higher the number, the better. Most courts accept anything higher than a 100 for the Combined Paternity Index. This number always increases by including the mother in the test.

The final issue is with the short paragraph at the bottom of the page. The first sentence says, "The results indicate that the alleged father can not be excluded as the biological father of the child."

In order for that sentence to say, "The alleged father is the biological father of the child" the laboratory would need to test every human being on earth. Since, the statistics are based on population sampling, the laboratory cannot get a 100% result.

DNA test results can be confusing, so speak with a case manager or DNA professional if you have questions.

My parents always told me not to believe everything I read, so I probably shouldn't be writing about the story I read at Bricks and Stones Gossip. The fact is, I usually just Google "DNA test" to see if I can find any recent news or stories. I think this story is worthwhile because it points out some of the situations where paternity testing is used for wrong.

Normally, I'd say DNA testing for paternity is a great thing! It helps people get peace of mind and determine the truth when nothing else can. In my experience, fathers are more willing to take care of their children when they have no doubt it's theirs. Fathers are more willing to support a child financially when they aren't mandated by a court order. Obviously, the courts are needed in some situations, but usually it's better to keep the courts out. The father usually wants peace of mind. In all situations it's best to do paternity testing as early as possible.

Then you have the case of Karen Sala, a 46 year old woman who claims she's childhood friends with Keanu. She alleges that Neo is the father of one to four of her now adult children. She's not sure how many, only that he may be the father of at least one. All she's asking for is $150,000 per month in child support and $3 million in back spousal support. She's asking for a court ordered paternity test to prove her claim.

If these kids were young, maybe 5 or under, then I could understand. The adults are 20-25. I don't think there's a college in the world that costs $150,000 per month. This is clearly an issue of a woman who's out for cash. It's a waste of the court's time. She should have petitioned for a paternity test when the kids were still kids.

One last thing. If you like the design of this blog, you should check out Christophe's Blog. He designed our blog and has a great photography blog.

Ibrahim Essandoh has been a Canadian citizen for many years. He is from Ghana, West Africa, and his brother still lives there. Essandoh's kidneys failed two years ago, so he is in need of a transplant. He is unable to work as a welder, and has difficulty supporting his wife and three children. Thankfully, his brother Tom is a perfect match to donate a kidney. He is willing and able to help is brother Ibrahim out. There's only one problem. Canadian officials won't let Tom into Canada.

Embassy officials don't think the Essandoh's are related, according to a Ghana Business News Article. Mr. Essandoh has filed two petitions for his brother. The first was denied and the second is pending. The Embassy has requested DNA testing, which the article states will take about two weeks. DNA testing in Ghana doesn't typically take that long, but there has been some disruptions around Accra lately.

The DNA test can be completed in as little as two weeks, with the assistance of the Embassy. I know this because I've done it. I find it rediculous that the embassy refuses to assist an ailing man, who should be perfrectly healthy once he gets his brother's kidney. This man is a Canadian citizen being treated as a criminal.

According to the article, Embassy officials said once the DNA results come back, there should be no problem granting the visa. I understand there is a need to follow protocol, but I am certain that time is of the essence in this situation. Put a rush on the DNA test.