LIKELIHOOD RATIOS FOR DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID (DNA) TYPING IN CRIMINAL-CASES

The likelihood ratio approach for DNA typing in criminal cases is desc ribed. It is shown how this approach uses both the sizes and pattern o f discrepancies between the crime scene profile of fragment lengths an d the suspect profile for quantifying the strength of the evidence. In contrast to the current match-binning approach, it avoids an initial decision about whether the two profiles match. Likelihood ratios for p airs of profiles that meet the published statistical criteria for a ma tch show a wide range of values including some that indicate the evide nce is strongly against identity.