Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • The Soho Forum Debates
    • Just Asking Questions
    • The Best of Reason Magazine
    • Why We Can't Have Nice Things
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

Policy

The System is Broken

Forensic science is badly in need of reform. Here are some suggestions.

Radley Balko and Roger Koppl | 8.12.2008 4:30 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Visit this story.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Two Cheers for the Autocrat and His Lebensraum!

Radley Balko is a journalist at The Washington Post.

Roger Koppl is Professor of Finance in Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management and a faculty fellow in the University's Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute.

PolicyScience & TechnologyScienceCriminal JusticeSentencing
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Hide Comments (9)

Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.

  1.   17 years ago

    Ron Paul's wife is in the hospital:

    http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hMxQKsi9x1g_L-ScJuNwrj_msxVwD92GDH7G2

    Best wishes to her!

  2. edna   17 years ago

    a simple reform would be the use of blind testing. iow, the analyst would be presented with the evidence and (say) twenty tests, all coded and randomized, one of which is the suspect. if the analyst can match evidence and suspect, that alone will reduce the error rate to below 5%.

  3. kinnath   17 years ago

    Radley is my hero.

  4. anarch   17 years ago

    Topically...

    (Not my fault if the NY Times wants you to log in.)

  5. Jim McDish   17 years ago

    Reform? We just need people that know what they are doing, thats all.

    JT
    http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

  6. Lamar Snipburble   17 years ago

    http://fieldsobrietytest.info

  7. Pete from Chicago   17 years ago

    The article's criticism of forensics and the proposed solutions are all sound, but I was a little confused when it suggested that our justice system is outdated and hasn't kept up with scientific developments.

    Which developments in the world of science have rendered making arguements before a jury outdated?

    Scientific evidence is fallible, isn't it? Theories are revised continually in light of new information, and everything?

    I would hope that we keep using logical reasoning in a courtroom, not encourage law enforcement to confuse juries even more with the idea we can prove guilt by shining a purple lamp over a cumstain.

  8. the innominate one   17 years ago

    good article, good suggestions, Radley

  9. Barbara Black   17 years ago

    Hayne's findings in an autopsy seems to be jusstt whatever the prosecutor orders. Hayne and his sidekicks, the prosecutors, ousted Dr. Emily Ward when she disagreed with the "powers that be" and unless Mississippians unite to be heard, Hayne'sa next victim could be you or your loved one. It is time the 'Little Rascals' be disbanded or disbarred! Oh, sorry, I guess I'm behind times, Hayne's is looking for a nother state to victimize the poor people. My son, Henry Moses, is in Parchman for life because of Dr. Hayne's testimony. He was indicted for his wife's death, not murder. He and she were really bad alcoholics. She was in a car accident and two and one half months later she died. She had broken ribs, badly crushed hip. She was so drunk at the time that surgery couldn't be done until the next day. In Haynes autopsy he did not mention a scar on her body from hip surgery, nor did he mention that 80% of heer liver cells were deead. Two ER doctors that saw her in ER three days prior to her death testified that she died from kidney failure and liver failure due to drinking so much alcohol and taking so many tylenol. My family has tried so hard to get people to listen to us. There are more than one Henry Moses in these MS prisons. Please God, help my son.

Please log in to post comments

Mute this user?

  • Mute User
  • Cancel

Ban this user?

  • Ban User
  • Cancel

Un-ban this user?

  • Un-ban User
  • Cancel

Nuke this user?

  • Nuke User
  • Cancel

Un-nuke this user?

  • Un-nuke User
  • Cancel

Flag this comment?

  • Flag Comment
  • Cancel

Un-flag this comment?

  • Un-flag Comment
  • Cancel

Latest

Blame California Politicians for the State's Sky-High Gasoline Prices

J.D. Tuccille | 7.11.2025 7:00 AM

Review: The Endless Summer Chases the Perfect Surf Conditions Around the Globe

Liz Wolfe | From the August/September 2025 issue

Brickbat: Shocking Mistake

Charles Oliver | 7.11.2025 4:00 AM

Trump Wants Harvard To Hand Over Info on Over 10,000 International Students

Autumn Billings | 7.10.2025 5:18 PM

The People Who Wrecked N.Y. Schools Love Zohran Mamdani

Matt Welch | 7.10.2025 5:03 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS

© 2024 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

r

Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

This modal will close in 10

Reason Plus

Special Offer!

  • Full digital edition access
  • No ads
  • Commenting privileges

Just $25 per year

Join Today!