Technical Tracks Errors

Examples of Errors in Forensic Science

Analyst/Expert Error

• Errors due to human bias (i.e., cognitive bias, confirmation bias)
• Forensic examiner variability
• Errors due to improperly collected or improperly labeled evidence from crime scenes
• Errors due to break in the chain of custody
• Errors due to contamination and mislabeling of evidence
• Errors due to mishandling (i.e., losing samples, sample mix-ups, sample mislabeling and sample contamination)
• Errors due to misinterpretation of evidence
• Errors due to misinterpreting data
• Errors in poorly following best practices, processes and methods
• Errors due to poor documentation and transcriptions
• Errors due to inadequately trained personnel
• Errors due to analyst incompetence
• Errors due to failure to review the analysis of the original analyst
• Errors due to misinterpretation of post-mortem artifacts (i.e., artifacts due to resuscitation, exhumation, decomposition, embalming, rigor mortis, toxicological, environmental)
• Measurement errors (i.e., systematic, random)

Fraud

• Errors due to examiner fraud
• Errors due to falsified reports
• Errors due to suppression of exculpatory evidence
• Errors due to exaggeration of test results
• Errors due to false testimony about test results

Methods/protocol error

• Errors due to unvalidated methods
• Errors due to methods without scientific underpinnings
• Errors due to inaccurate and misleading statistics
• Error rates in scientific techniques
• Measurement errors (i.e., systematic, random)

Instrumentation/Technology Limitations

• Errors in software packages
• Error rates in technology solutions
• Laboratory equipment errors (i.e., poor or no calibrations)
• Measurement errors (i.e., systematic and random)
• Errors due to deficiencies in laboratory reference materials