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b.
Unethical Defense Experts
A whole industry has been created by experts who limit themselves to defense
work. Almost by definition, those who dismiss any possible value to forensic
work wholesale cannot engage in it themselves, as the very performance of
the works confers a measure of credibility. Independent laboratories do not
generally fall into this category, as those who take both prosecution and
defense work must accept the technology to at least the degree that the work
is worth doing. Those who restrict themselves to commenting on the work
of others need not labor under these restraints. Although “defense-only”
consultants who work within ethical boundaries certainly exist and provide
a valuable service to the defense community, the defense-only position is also
a hallmark of those who engage in profiteering at the expense of the judicial
system, legitimate forensic science, and, worst of all, the case. Because these
“experts” don’t perform analyses, they cannot influence a case by mishandling
or destroying evidence. They can, however, waste an enormous amount of
time and money, not to mention the seemingly endless annoyance and frus-
tration they cause to legitimate workers and commentators on both sides.
Worst of all, they occasionally succeed in introducing enough confusion and
misinformation that legitimate work is either discredited or disregarded.
 
D.
Summary
Forensic laboratories must not only produce accurate, reliable, and unbiased
analyses and interpretations, they must also convince the judicial system and
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Principles and Practice of Criminalistics
 
Sidebar 13