DNA-FINGERPRINTING - A REVIEW OF THE CONTROVERSY

Forensic scientists have used genetic material (DNA) as evidence in cr iminal cases such as rape and murder since the middle of the last deca de. The forensic scientist's interpretation of the evidence, however, has been subject to some criticism, especially when it involves statis tical issues (including relevant areas of population genetics in the r ealm of statistics). These issues include the appropriate method of su mmarizing data subject to measurement error, independence of events in a DNA pattern or profile; characterization of heterogeneity of popula tions; appropriate sampling methods to develop reference databases; an d probabilistic evaluation of evidence under uncertainty of appropriat e reference database. I review these issues, with the goal of making t hem accessible to the statistical community. My thesis in this article is that, for most cases, the tremendous genetic variability among ind ividuals obviates concern arising from minor violations of modeling as sumptions.