The Trajectory of Forensics

To appreciate the significance of the 2009 report by the National Academy of Sciences addressing fundamental weaknesses in forensic science, it is useful to understand its historical context. That context necessitates an interdisciplinary inquiry since there are sociological, psychological, and political dynamics in play. That historical context better equips us to understand both the obstacles that lie ahead and how to respond to them. In this essay, I discuss the state of forensics before the DNA revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s. I then describe how DNA changed our thinking about forensics more broadly. I describe the immediate backdrop before the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Science Community was convened and its impact on policy and litigation in the United States.