Wrongful Convictions and DNA Exonerations: Understanding the Role of Forensic Science

"One of the greatest tragedies in the criminal justice system is the conviction of a person for a crime he or she did not commit. Erroneous convictions can have immeasurable consequences for exonerees, original crime victims, and families. Additionally, they may also have long-lasting negative effects on the witnesses, investigators, lawyers, judges, and other criminal justice professionals involved in erroneous convictions...Wrongful conviction cases have been associated with various causes, which will be discussed throughout this article; however, we specifically examine cases that included forensic science as a contributing factor." (National Institute of Justice Journal)