Future Programs

Future Programs: "www.dna.gov
Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court

Officers of the Court

Congress and state and local governments have invested heavily to empower our criminal justice system with DNA as a crime fighting tool. Therefore, it is critical that our legal community is properly educated on issues that arise as a result of implementing and employing this powerful technology.

The NFSTC has been directed by the NIJ to develop an educational and resource tool for officers of the court (attorneys and the judiciary). The Principles of DNA for Officers of the Court resource is accessible through the DNA.gov website at: http://www.dna.gov/training/otc/

This program is also available on CD-ROM through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS).
To order, go to http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/AlphaList.aspx and search for publication # NCJ 212399.

View the press release from the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.


The goal of this program is to empower officers of the court with the knowledge to effectively use forensic DNA evidence as a crime fighting tool for our entire criminal justice system.By ensuring that our courts are better equipped to manage forensic DNA cases, efficiencies will be realized across the criminal justice system.

Topics

* DNA Evidence Admissibility and Interpretation Overview
* DNA Terms and Issues
* Biology of DNA
* Basic Biology of Forensic DNA Identity Testing
* Practical Issues Specific to DNA Evidence (Crime Scene and Laboratory Protocol)
* History and Development of Forensic DNA Analysis
* DNA Laboratory Processes
* Quality Assurance
* Forensic DNA Laboratory Reporting
* Common Terminology
* Significance of DNA Results as Evidence
* Statistics and Population Genetics
* Mitochondrial DNA and Y-STR Analysis
* Forensic DNA Databases
* Collection of DNA Evidence
* Pretrial DNA Evidence Issues
* Victim Issues
* Trial Presentation
* Post-Conviction DNA Cases
* Emerging Trends

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