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What's Your Price? By Leo, William F. C.L.P.E. When called as a witness, in addition to giving straight forward testimony, one of your goals should be to promote your area of forensic science. When called to reexamine another examiner's work, it is your obligation to be objective in your examination and either confirm their findings or establish that their conclusions were incorrect. Insuring that correct conclusions are presented in court helps to promote forensic science. During the O.J. Simpson trial, did the testimony of Henry Lee or Larry Ragle determine any of the results of the analysis that was done to be incorrect? I don't think so. However, by speculation and innuendo did these two gentlemen promote forensic science or did they just muddy the waters for a fee? I support any latent print examiner who finds and corrects identification errors. I have aggressively pursued an examiner who falsified evidence. I believe that when you clean your own house, you are promoting the science. To suggest that “I could have done it better” or “there are other ways to do the examination or collect the evidence” before a lay jury without showing how this DID change the evidence AND that it DID result in an incorrect conclusion AND without providing the correct conclusion, have you promoted forensic science or only confused the issues at hand? The witness stand is not the proper forum for the forensic community to debate scientific practices and procedures. The courtroom should be reserved for a search for truth and justice. Webster's New World Dictionary defines a prostitute as a person “who sells one's moral integrity for a low or unworthy purpose”. Before you accept a check to testify, you should ask yourself, will my testimony promote forensic science or am I just selling myself for a low or unworthy purpose? What's your price?
This article was originally published in “THE PRINT” |