Regulating the Science of Forensic Evidence: A Broken System Requires a New Federal Agency
Texas Law Review, See Also, Vol. 90, p. 19, 2011
Georgia State University College of Law, Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2012-08
10 Pages Posted: 12 Mar 2012 Last revised: 18 Mar 2012
Date Written: 2011
Abstract
Professor Gabel and Ms. Champion agree with Mr. Goldstein's argument that serious validity and reliability problems plague forensic science, but, using the recent Troy Davis case in Georgia as an illustration, they argue for federal rather than state oversight. Gabel and Champion assert that many states lack the funding to construct an adequate system and that the fragmentation caused by different state systems would be a significant impediment to reform. They suggest a federal agency that, like the Environmental Protection Agency, would set minimum standards but allow states to experiment with enhanced regulation.
Keywords: administrative law, regulation, forensics, forensic science, criminal procedure, criminal law, evidence
JEL Classification: K14, K40, K41
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation