Truth machine : the contentious history of DNA fingerprinting / Michael Lynch ... [et al.].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lynch, Michael, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

DNA fingerprinting--History.

DNA fingerprinting.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (415 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

DNA profiling-commonly known as DNA fingerprinting-is often heralded as unassailable criminal evidence, a veritable "truth machine" that can overturn convictions based on eyewitness testimony, confessions, and other forms of forensic evidence. But DNA evidence is far from infallible. Truth Machine traces the controversial history of DNA fingerprinting by looking at court cases in the United States and United Kingdom beginning in the mid-1980s, when the practice was invented, and continuing until the present. Ultimately, Truth Machine presents compelling evidence of the obstacles and opportunities at the intersection of science, technology, sociology, and law.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter One. A Revolution in Forensic Science?

Interlude A. DNA Profiling Techniques

Chapter Two. A Techno-Legal Controversy

Interlude B. Admissibility, Controversy, and Judicial Metascience

Chapter Three. Molecular Biology and the Dispersion of Technique

Chapter Four. Chains of Custody and Administrative Objectivity

Interlude C. The U.K. National DNA Database

Chapter Five. Deconstructing Probability in the case R. v. Deen

Interlude D. Bayesians, Frequentists, and the DNA Database Search Controversy

Chapter Six. Science, Common Sense, and DNA Evidence

Chapter Seven. Fixing Controversy, Performing Closure

Chapter Eight. Postclosure

Interlude E. Fingerprinting and Probability

Chapter Nine. Fingerprinting: An Inversion of Credibility

Chapter Ten. Finality?

Cases

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [349]-378) and index.

ISBN:

9786612537974

9781282537972

1282537970

9780226498089

0226498085

OCLC:

593284000