Autopsy of a Crime Lab - by Brandon L Garrett

About the Book

""That's not my fingerprint, your honor," said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a "100-percent identification." They were wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100-percent certainty, when there is no such thing as a 100-percent match? Where is the quality control in the laboratories and at the crime scenes? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods? Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners"--

Book Synopsis

This book exposes the dangerously imperfect forensic evidence that we rely on for criminal convictions.

"That's not my fingerprint, your honor," said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a "100-percent identification." The FBI was wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100-percent certainty about a fingerprint, when there is no such thing as a 100 percent match? Where is the quality control at the crime scenes and in the laboratories? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods?

Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners.

From the Back Cover

"An indispensable book for understanding how the misuse of forensics has contributed to almost half of all wrongful convictions. Brandon Garrett brilliantly busts the myth of the 'infallible' expert witness laboring in a completely 'objective and flawless' crime lab, applying only the 'most reliable' scientific methods. With unique insight and specificity, he explains the ways forensics can go wrong and shows how to make it right. If you believe that when life and liberty are at stake, accuracy and candor are essential, this book is a must-read."--Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, founders of the Innocence Project

"The greatest source of contamination in the lab is the human mind. Garrett breaks the illusions that a white lab coat shields a person from bias and that a sterile environment necessarily produces cold, incorruptible conclusions. Necessary reading for those who implement the criminal justice system and for those who find ourselves thrust into it, either as a suspect or juror."--Amanda Knox, author of Waiting to Be Heard

"One of the hardest things we 'innocence lawyers' face is unraveling the damage of bad forensics in a case years or decades later. Garrett's book is the best book yet to unravel the pervasive problem of bad forensics leading to wrongful convictions."--Mark Godsey, author of Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions

"A powerful indictment of the state of forensic evidence from one of America's leading voices for urgent science-based reform. Mixing cutting-edge research with jaw-dropping stories, Brandon Garrett reveals a scandal of staggering proportions and the ongoing efforts to cover it up. This is a call to action that every citizen should read--and everyone involved in the criminal justice system should read twice."--Adam Benforado, author of Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice

"This very timely book is a must-read for anyone interested in crime, bias, forensics, wrongful conviction, and the (mis)use of science. It is a wake-up call to bring science, transparency, and justice to the criminal justice system."--Itiel Dror, Senior Cognitive Neuroscience Researcher, University College London

Review Quotes

"...Brandon Garrett provides evidence and case histories surrounding the dark and dangerous side of forensic science - its flaws, its misconceptions, and its potential for determining the life-or-death outcome of the accused."-- "Theory in Action"

"Its analysis of the shortcomings of most forensic sciences is nothing short of devastating."-- "Judicature"

"This book is a must-read for any person involved in justice at any level. Failure to understand the basic science behind forensics is to court miscarriage of justice on a grand scale. Judges and lawyers would be well advised to read this book and to keep it close at hand."-- "South Africa Law Review"

"Autopsy of a Crime Lab is an important first step in bringing the forensic system 'back to life' by tackling both the science itself, and how it should be understood and implemented in the criminal-legal system."

-- "Criminal Law & Criminal Justice Books"

"Garrett shatters illusions that forensics are always scientifically accurate, and that experts brought in to testify always know their subject. Autopsy of a Crime Lab provides resources to move forward and fix forensics, to ensure that human and scientific errors are kept to a minimum."

-- "CHOICE"

"Autopsy of a Crime Lab argues that judges should take their responsibility as gatekeepers of scientific and technical evidence more seriously."-- "Reason"

"Autopsy of a Crime Lab forcefully reminds us that despite what we see on CSI, even airtight evidence must first be interpreted by boastful and fallible humans."-- "Vanity Fair"

"In Autopsy of a Crime Lab, Brandon Garrett has produced the best overview for a general audience to date of the legal-scientific problems at the heart of this controversy."-- "Law & Society Review"

"Autopsy of a Crime Lab offers in its form as well as its content a convincing argument against the current state of forensic science, as well as promising solutions for the way forward. This book would be an excellent resource for academics but would also be a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn more about the problems inherent within forensics."-- "True Crime Index"

About the Author

Brandon L. Garrett is the L. Neil Williams Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, where he directs the Wilson Center for Science and Justice. His previous books include Convicting the Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong, Too Big to Jail: How Prosecutors Compromise with Corporations, and End of Its Rope: How Killing the Death Penalty Can Revive Criminal Justice.