June 26 - A Supreme Court opinion issued yesterday, which ruled that defendants have a right to cross-examine forensic analysts, cites a National Research Council report on forensic science released in February. The majority opinion noted the report's findings that the reliability of forensic methods varies widely and that forensic labs -- which are usually under the control of law-enforcement agencies -- may feel pressured to sacrifice appropriate methodology for the sake of expediency.
The opinion also cited one of the report's major conclusions:
“The forensic science system, encompassing both research and practice, has serious problems that can only be addressed by a national commitment to overhaul the current structure that supports the forensic science community in this country.”
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