"According to a 2002 handbook of forensic science, error rates are not what you see on TV. They're as high as 63% for voice ID, 40% for handwriting, 64% for bite marks, 12% for hair. The real numbers may be even higher: Blind tests, slipped into an examiner's workload rather than marked, "Here's the test!", are essentially nonexistent."
WSJ.com - Science Journal
So much for CSI and the DNA testing that takes all of an hour to complete. But hey, we all knew that, and the television representations of forensics must be tied neatly together in an hour or less, so we give them some leeway. But should we be giving them slack when it comes to their 100% infallibility rate? There's NEVER a doubt, and as the above article explains, more times than not there IS room for reasonable doubt.
Something that the story doesn't contain is the fact that the 2004 homicide conviction rate was about 64%. Even with all of the wonders modern science can throw into the mix to find and convict the bad guys, law enforcement has begun somewhat of a slippery slope towards batting .500. On one side, there's the dumb ass crook that we all love to read about, you know, the one who hands the bank teller a note asking for money, and on the reverse side is his home address and telephone number. These guys practically arrest themselves, and on the other end of the scale are the O.J.'s that literally get away with murder.
64% error rate for bitemarks? Wow. Anyways, prove that you're eclectic and give the link a click.
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